Jean Prouve was considered one of the most important figures in 20th-century design. He was a designer, architect and metal worker known for his creative use of materials and manufacturing. He was particularly well known for his experimentation with metal and the combination of aesthetics and functionality whilst using modern materials and mass production. His work connected the fields of furniture design, industrial design and architecture. He was born in 1901 in Paris and was raised by a creative family, his father was a painter and he describes his childhood as being raised “in a world of artists and scholars, a world which nourished my mind." Rather than traditional art or architecture, he focused his interest on industrial design as he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. 

After completing his training as a metal artisan, Jean opened his own workshop in 1924 in Nancy, France. He then established his own factory in 1947 after creating many furniture design over the years. During his time at the workshop he experimented with the balance between function requirements, aesthetics and industrial effiency when working with materials such as steel, aluminium and sheet metal. The use of techniques in his work such as stamping and welding were ingenious. His belief was that the industrial production of products that were well designed could help improve everyday life.

In 2002 many of Prouve’s designs have been reissued by the brand Vitra, testifying the timelessness of his work and the relevance of his ideas after so many years.