A pair of chairs designed by Louis Sparre
A pair of chairs designed by Louis Sparre

Louis Sparre (1866 – 1964) was a Swedish furniture designer and ceramicist. He worked professionally in Finland.

He was born in Gravellona Lomellina, Italy. He was the son of Pehr Ambjörn Sparre af Söfdeborg (1828–1921) and Teresita Adèle Josefa Gaetana Barbavara (1844–1867). His father had served as head of the banknote printing company for the Sveriges Riksbank. He spent his early childhood with his mother at Villa Teresita in Gravellona while his father was often on business trips. After having suffered an accident, her mother died when he was four years old. He then moved with his father to Paris before being sent to Sweden for school studies. He attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts before relocating to Paris

Biography

He worked in Finland from 1891 to 1911. He established the Iris plant in Porvoo in 1897. He went on to work in Stockholm after that. He produced and illustrated books and was regarded as a pioneer of the design renaissance in Finland, with Akseli Gallen- Kallela, Eliel Saarinen, Herman Gesellius, and Armas Lindgren. His striking furniture designs were expressed through forceful geometric forms.

Recognition

He received the first prize Friends of Finish Handicrafts 1895 furniture competition.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, July 8). Louis Sparre. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:14, November 9, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louis_Sparre&oldid=1032542876

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