# Gerrit Rietveld artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/gerrit-rietveld/
Profile generated: 2026-05-08T13:21:23.661Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1888-06-24
- Death date: 1964-06-25
- Nationality: Dutch
- Movements: De Stijl (Neoplasticism)
- Common media: furniture (chairs, tables, cabinets), architectural design, interior design, graphic design

## About Gerrit Rietveld

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888–1964) was a Dutch architect, furniture designer, interior decorator, and educator whose work became central to the De Stijl movement. Born and based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Rietveld trained initially as a furniture maker before expanding into architectural practice. His furniture designs—characterized by geometric construction, open structures, and a restrained palette of primary colors and neutral tones—made him one of the most influential figures in 20th-century design. Rietveld's architectural output includes residential buildings and public commissions that embody the same abstract, spatially adventurous approach seen in his furniture. He also taught architecture and design at Dutch institutions. His work is held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and his legacy is stewarded by the Rietveld Stichting in the Netherlands.

## Common works and media

Rietveld's most commonly encountered works at auction include chairs (notably slatted wooden armchairs and side chairs in primary colors), tables, cabinets, and other case furniture. Architectural drawings, plans, and models also appear on the market. His furniture is typically constructed in solid wood, plywood, or painted wood with exposed structural joinery. Graphic design work and interior design proposals surface less frequently. Collectors may encounter both original period pieces and authorized re-editions produced by licensed manufacturers.

## Market and appraisal context

Rietveld's furniture and design objects appear regularly at international auction, with over 500 recorded lots. Collectors should distinguish between original early-period pieces, mid-century production, and later authorized re-editions, as these carry markedly different values. Provenance, condition, material authenticity, and documentation—such as exhibition history or catalogue entries—are key appraisal factors. The Rietveld Stichting manages the artist's intellectual property and can assist with authentication. Original chairs, tables, and cabinets from Rietveld's most recognized design periods attract the strongest demand at major auction houses specializing in 20th-century decorative arts.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine independently researched artist identity data with public auction records, auction-house cataloguing, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Gerrit Rietveld, identity and biographical information is grounded in authority files from the Library of Congress, Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, and the Rietveld Stichting.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160435
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrit_Rietveld
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500009183
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/15562113/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50044177
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/4922
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/66880
- Rietveld Stichting: http://www.gerrit-rietveld.nl/