Large Vintage Pine Arm Chair From The Studio Of Cornish Artist Sven Berlin

Large Vintage Pine Arm Chair From The Studio Of Cornish Artist Sven Berlin


Provenance relating to chair is shown is in the photo as printed and shared in a few of the photos in this listing



Sven Berlin (1911–1999)

Sculptor, painter, draughtsman and writer who led a bohemian, often controversial life. Born in London of an English mother and Swedish father, Berlin was apprenticed as a mechanical engineer, in 1928 enrolled at Beckenham School of Art, but decided instead to pursue a career as an adagio dancer in music-halls. In 1934 and 1938 pursued art studies at Camborne-Redruth Schools of Art in Cornwall as well as other subjects such as poetry, philosophy and comparative religion. Had first one-man show at Camborne Community Centre in 1939, by which time he had begun sculpting. Although a conscientious objector at outset of World War II, he eventually joined the Army. Settled in St Ives, and was co-founder of Crypt Group in 1946 and a founder-member of Penwith Society in 1949, the year his book Alfred Wallis, Primitive, was published.




Other books included The Dark Monarch: A Portrait from Within, about St Ives and its inhabitants; it led to several libel actions. His autobiography A Coat of Many Colours, 1994, contains chapters on fellow-artists in St Ives; second volume, Virgo in Exile, appeared in 1996. After a few moves, partly by horse and gypsy waggon, Berlin eventually settled at Wimborne, Dorset. He was a regular exhibitor of work sometimes extremely strong, sometimes of variable quality. A notable show was at Belgrave Gallery, 1989. Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Gallery, National Library of Scotland and other British and foreign collections hold his work. Sven Berlin’s daughter Greta Berlin was a sculptor and her daughter the artist Zennor Witney.




This is a unique, very large chair which would look great in a studio. A chair to sit and ponder in


This wonderful 'one of a kind' chair measures approx 127cm high x 56cm wide and seat height is approx 46cm


Will be sent via private courier to mainland UK only