Viennese Jugendstil armchair, design Josef Hoffmann, manufactured by J. & J. Kohn Vienna, mod. no. 720, ca. 1905, bent beechwood, brass, leather
Height: 80cm,
Width: 61cm,
Depth: 63cm
1902
to 1905
Technique: beechwood, bent and stained, brass, leather
Provenance: Private collection, Budapest
Bib.: Giovanni Renzi, Il mobile moderno, Silvana Editoriale Spa, Milano 2008, p. 70-71; comp. Magazine “Das Interieur” vol. XIII, illustration 31, contemporary photographs of the International exhibition Buenos Aires 1910
Bentwood company Jacob & Josef Kohn, Vienna, commissioned the most innovative architects of the time with designs for their elegant furnishings. Adolf Loos, Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Gustav Siegel, for instance, designed groundbreaking furniture classics, significant for Viennese Modernism, which contributed to J. & J. Kohn’s international success. Josef Hoffmann designed this armchair in 1901, and the following year alraedy it appeared on a Kohn-advertisement in the catalogue of the 15th Vienna Secession Exhibition. In its illustrious exhibition history, this beautifully designed piece was also presented at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, USA. Hoffmann based his modern interpretation of a fauteuil on the curved shape of a horseshoe. Using all the possibilities of bentwood technology, the back was seamlessly formed from a curved shell. With the compact sheathing, Hoffmann gives the armchair a certain formal touch without foregoing decorative elements. The visibly arranged brass rivets and polished brass feet soften the formal austerity. Ergonomic details, such as the slightly inclined armrests, attest to Hoffmann’s thoughtful approach to the model as well. With this fauteuil Hoffmann designed a timeless modern classic, which we are excited to offer as a pair.
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