This table lamp model A704 was designed by Alvar Aalto and manufactured by Valaistustyö in the 1950s. Viljo Hirvonen and Alvar Aalto started their work collaborations in the 1950s. Viljo and the other staff at Valaistustyö were higly qualified and brought out high quality light fittings to the markets, as is clearly evident from this lamp.
This lamp is quite big for a table lamp and thus very distinctive. The design, like all of Aalto's designs, is very simple and elegant, but still manages to catch the eye. This model is also found in all black color for example, however, this black and white version makes it much sexier than the other.
This lamp is in completely original condition and is clearly stamped, please refer to one of the pictures.
Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is a world famous architect and designer. He was well known for designing his own line of furniture and lighting for the numerous buildings that he designed worldwide. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles, glassware, sculptures and paintings. He never regarded himself as an artist, seeing painting and sculpture as branches of a tree that stem from architecture.
Aalto's career from the 1920s-1970s is reflected in the styles of his work, ranging from Classicism to Modernism and to an organic style from the 1940s onwards. Aalto and his wife Aino were famous for not only designing the buildings, but the interior surfaces, furniture, lamps and even the glassware for those buildings. Aalto's furniture designs are Scandinavian Modernism at its best, especially his technical innovations on the bent plywood furniture, which in turn had a great impact on Mid-Century Modernist furniture.
Aalto's works are highly sought after and some fetch record prices in auctions and the design world. Of course his works are also widely collected and can be found in numerous private collections and famous museums.
