Modernist Desk Model ‘Canaan’ by Marcel Breuer for Gavina, Italy 1950s

Intriguing modernist desk model ‘Canaan’ by Marcel Breuer for Gavina. This desk is a beautiful modernist design piece in which Breuer's Bauhaus influences can of course be seen. We also see features of constructivism in this intriguing desk. For example, we see the support beam that runs the entire length of the desk and clearly indicates that it supports the storage spaces on both sides. This crossbar also gives the user of this Canaan desk the ergonomic advantage of resting the feet on it. The apparently minimalist design shows that Breuer started from the Bauhaus adage form-follows-function. He was not tempted to start from the energy and dynamism of the object, but above all allowed the identity and logic of a desk in itself to prevail. A possible interpretation, as it were, of how form really follows function. The straight lines, the dark wood, and the opening in the middle are masterfully related to each other. Nothing sticks out and the handles of the drawers are cut from the wood. Light shades of color in the veneer create a mysterious overall glow-in-the-dark veneer-dominated desk. This desk will not look out of place in a hypermodern interior, but will also easily adapt to a more balanced interior containing, for example, more round shapes and objects. Truly a very special item that is also in good condition. The veneer has light superficial scratches in one spot and a single chip.