What was Modernism?
Form follows function – discover the utopian vision behind Modernist design
Modernism
Modernism in design and architecture emerged in the aftermath of the First World War and the Russian Revolution – a period when the artistic avant-garde dreamed of a new world free from history and tradition.
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During the years between the World Wars, Modernist design and art shared certain underlying principles: a rejection of decoration and applied ornament; a preference for abstraction; and a belief that design and technology could transform society. This utopian spirit pervades the V&A's collection: from everyday objects to feats of technological inspiration.
Collection highlights
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Dell-Lampe Type K, desk lamp, designed by Christian Dell, made by Zimmermann GmbH, 1929, Frankfurt, Germany -
Neu-Berlin, cup and saucer, designed by Trude Petri, manufactured by Staatliche Porzellanmanufaktur, 1931, Berlin, Germany -
Paimio Armchair, designed by Aalto, Alvar, manufactured by Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Oy, 1932, Finland -
Desk, designed by Denham Maclaren, about 1929, London, England -
Teapot, designed by Naum Slutzky, 1928, Hamburg, Germany -
MR20, armchair, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, manufactured by Thonet, 1927, Frankenberg, Germany -
(Detail) Kaufmann Office, panelled room, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1935 – 37, Pittsburgh, US -
The Red Blue Chair, armchair, designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, made by Gerard A. van der Groenekan, 1918, Netherlands -
Hanging, designed by Anna Albers, 1926, made by Gunta Stölzl, 1967, Germany -
Savoy, vase, designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured by Karhula, 1937, Finland -
Penguin Donkey, bookcase, designed by Egon Riss, manufactured by Isokon Furniture Company, 1939, London, England -
MT8, table lamp, Wilhelm Wagenfeld, about 1924, Germany. Museum no. M.28&A-1989. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London -
(Detail) Frankfurt Kitchen, designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, 1926 – 27, Frankfurt, Germany -
Ensemble, designed by Aleksandr Mikailovich Rodchenko, 1922, made by Air Morishita, 2005, France -
Drawing, by Edward McKnight Kauffer, 1934, London, England -
EKCO AC 74, radio, designed by Serge Chermayeff, manufactured by E. K. Cole Ltd, 1933, Southend on Sea, England -
Britain by Mass Observation, book, by Charles Madge & Tom Harrisson, published by Penguin Books, 1939, England -
Bracelet, designed by Naum Slutzky, 1930, Hamburg, Germany
Features
Domestic life in a Modern world
Discover how Modernist principles reconfigured domestic spaces and products
The sophisticated Modern home
Explore a selection of homewares that embody timely, elegant and most importantly, Modern, design
Take a seat – a story of Modernism in three chairs
For Modernists, the chair represented a particularly important and popular design challenge
Modernist architecture: the Bauhaus and beyond
From the 1920s, the teachings of the Bauhaus school inspired a new, experimental architecture
Modernism and the natural world – the designs of Alvar and Aino Aalto
Deckchair design: from ocean liner to Modernist villa
Discover how ocean liner style influenced an iconic Modernist chair designed by Eileen Gray
Modernist theatre in Britain between the Wars
The Modernist agenda is reflected in the pioneering political theatrical organisations that sprung up in the UK between the wars
At the press of a button: A V&A history of 3D printing
The ambition of printing anything, anywhere, anytime has long been a futuristic dream
