Watercolours by Finn Juhl

Finn Juhl (1912-1989) is known and loved in Denmark and around the world for his sophisticated and sculptural furniture – but few people are familiar with his masterly watercolours. Throughout most of his career, his workshop drawings were carefully finished with a watercolour wash. To ease understanding, as Juhl put it. Watercolours hold a power of seduction that no technical drawing possesses. The use of light and shading comes into its own in watercolours, making the chair, the table and the interior come alive. Almost allowing us to feel the smooth surface of the wood and the delicate structure of the textile.

The book opens with an essay introducing the reader to Finn Juhl’s fascinating universe and then goes on to present more than 125 watercolours in thematic chapters. In addition to a wide range of furniture designs, the watercolours present applied art, exhibition stands, architecture and interiors, including Juhl’s interior design of the UN’s Trusteeship Council Chamber in New York and the outfitting of SAS’s DC8 airliners from the early 1950s.

The book’s author, Anne-Louise Sommer (born 1961), is the director of Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen, an adjunct professor at the University of Southern Denmark and the author of numerous books and articles on design, architecture and garden design.