This unique pair of table lamps was designed and intended for Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum (today KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art) located in northern Jutland, Denmark. The museum was designed by Finnish architects Elissa and Alvar Aalto in collaboration with Danish architect Jean-Jacques Baruël. It is a principal work in Danish architectural history and the only building in Denmark designed by the world-renowned Finnish modernist. Aalto won the commission in 1958, but due to financial difficulties the museum was not inaugurated until 1972. Baruël was employed at Aalto’s office in Helsinki from 1948-54, but continued to collaborate with Aalto after establishing his own office. All the designs for Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum were thus worked out in Baruël’s studio in Copenhagen. The building in white marble and clear glass is characterized by a monumental power and its precise contours and tightly composed facades beautifully contrast the surrounding woodland. It is a building with body and weight, carefully built in exquisite materials. The interior floor is made of Carrara marble and the white floor and white walls are beautifully contrasted by grey carpets and furniture in black leather. This untroubled elegance and exclusiveness characterize the table lamps as well. Aalto and Baruël emphasized the effects of the materials and created a stylish contrast between the black painted metal and golden brass and a refined balance between angular and rounded shapes.
