catalog text
PAIR OF VIENNESE MODERN POLISHED CHERRY ARM CHAIRS
Of the Wiener Wohnkultur movement; Austria, circa 1920-30
Item # 009JKY18N
As the Viennese Secessionist grew traction with new Austrian artists developing a very distinct style, the Wiener Werkstätt movement was a natural extension of this. The Wiener Wohnkultur movement was a reaction against the rigid symmetry of Werkstätt with leading designers like Oskar Strnad, Josef Frank, Jacques Groag and Walter Sobotka, all of whom designed apartment exhibitions for the Werkbund Estate in 1932. It was a rejection of the mechanistic, over-simplified, mass-produced and cold designs of the Bauhaus. The home, in the view of these designers, was a place of warmth and comfort, a space that should in no way resemble the workplace - the architect was to set the stage, but the interior belonged to the tasteful eye alone. It was out of this sentiment that a large body of furnishings were produced.
The present model draws a distinct influence from the Biedermeier forms of a century prior, complete with traditional craftsmanship in the joinery and an appreciative eye for the natural beauty of raw timber. Designed entirely out of solid cherrywood, it has been polished and left mostly raw with an oil finish under waxes that has oxidized beautifully. The historical surface remains relatively untouched. A lattice-work array in the back makes an interesting strikepoint for the eye while the gentle taper of the legs with a subtle outward-splay counteract the inward taper of the chair back. Mostly angular, the sculpted arms over the curved supports is effective in softening the form.
Complex in design, magnetic in form and of exacting quality, this is a most compelling acquisition for a living interior.
Measurements: 38 1/4" H x 20 5/8" D x 24" W x 18 1/4" H to seat rail
Condition Report:
Minor dings, stains and abrasions throughout the early surface; repaired crack to the inner edge of one right arm where it meets the stile; various corner joints show evidence of regluing over the years; sturdy and strong.