This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.
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This object, known as the “Bauhaus lamp,” embodies the Bauhaus School’s central principle—form follows function—founded in 1919 by the architect Walter Gropius, who taught the modern synthesis of fine and applied arts. Using simple geometric shapes—circular base, cylindrical shaft, and spherical shade—Wagenfeld and Jucker achieved “both maximum simplicity and, in terms of time and materials, greatest economy.” The lamp’s working parts are visible; the opaque glass shade, formerly used only for industrial lighting, helps diffuse the light.
The lamp was produced in the Bauhaus metal workshop after its reorganisation under the artist László Moholy-Nagy in 1923. The workshop promoted new materials and favoured mass production through a collaborative rather than an individual approach, which perfectly suited the Bauhaus lamp.
Initial attempts to market the lamp in 1924 were unsuccessful, mainly because most parts were still hand-assembled at the Bauhaus. Today, the Bauhaus lamp is widely produced by the Techno-Lumen of Bremen, Germany. It is generally seen as an icon of modern industrial design.
Sources
Wagenfeld, W., & Jucker, C. J. Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Carl Jakob Jucker. Table Lamp. 1923-24: MoMA. The Museum of Modern Art. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/4056.
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