Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) was one of the leading exponents of the Modern Movement, both in the field of architecture and design. His maxim “Less is More” can be considered the motto of this trend, constantly aimed at reducing decorative frills and looking for pure and functional forms. Born in Aachen, of humble origins (he was the son of a stonemason specializing in funeral monuments), Mies spent the most important years of his training in the studio of Peter Behrens, master of the Deutscher Werkbund, before starting a career on his own that will lead him to create iconic buildings such as the German Pavilion of the 1928 Barcelona Expo or, later, the Seagram Building in New York and the iconic Casa Farnsworth. He was director of the famous Bauhaus School from 1930 until it was closed by the Nazis, who also forced him to emigrate to the USA in the late 1930s. There he continued his career with great honors and met Florence Knoll, of whom he was master, who with his company still produces all the most famous furnishings he designed.