Rare Original Josef Hoffmann Chair, 1912
About the Item
- Creator:Wiener Werkstätte (Manufacturer),Josef Hoffmann (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 37.8 in (96 cm)Width: 23.23 in (59 cm)Depth: 20.48 in (52 cm)Seat Height: 18.9 in (48 cm)
- Style:Jugendstil (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1910-1919
- Date of Manufacture:1912
- Condition:Repaired.
- Seller Location:Vienna, AT
- Reference Number:
Josef Hoffmann
The Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann was a central figure in the evolution of modern design, and a leader in an aesthetic movement born in Europe in the late 19th century that rejected florid, extravagant ornamentation in favor of a new emphasis on simplicity of line.
As a founder of the Vienna Secession — a union of artists and designers determined to upend Austria’s artistic conservatism — and later, a founder of the turn-of-the-century Wiener Werkstätte (in English: the Viennese Workshops), a design cooperative that produced superbly crafted furniture and housewares, Hoffmann was a pioneering practitioner of what would become a fundamental principle of modernism: that good design is a way of life.
Hoffmann came of age amidst a shift in the culture of the applied arts, as a conservative order that looked only to the past for inspiration was pushed aside. But what, exactly, would replace that order was in question — and Hoffmann’s career embodies the developing patterns of design’s new spirit. His architectural work reflects his time as a student of the Vienna architect Otto Wagner, who disdained excessive decoration and employed new materials such as steel girders and reinforced concrete to create buildings with airy, open interiors full of light.
As a designer of furniture and interiors, Hoffmann was consistently open-minded about the aesthetics he explored. He was an early adherent of the flowing, organic forms of the Art Nouveau design movement that began to flourish in the late 1880s — but by the opening of the Wiener Werkstätte in 1903, Hoffmann’s designs embraced the beauty of geometry in pieces that feature grids and angular forms.
Hoffmann’s greatest works reflect his ability to combine seemingly conflicting design visions into coherent wholes. His architectural masterpiece, the Stoclet Palace in Brussels, has an exterior that groups together simple geometric forms and spacious interiors marked by subtly naturalistic design details that lend rooms an air of charm and geniality.
Hoffmann’s signature furniture design is an adjustable lounge chair — the Sitzmaschine (1905) — that marries a curving frame with square and rectangular back- and side rests. This piece, like so many others by Hoffmann, reflects a groundbreaking, forward-thinking appreciation for the union of different looks and sources that marks the best of interior design in our own day. Moreover, items offered on 1stDibs — which range from enameled silver jewelry, to silver flower vase baskets and other decorative objects, to sofas, lighting pendants and sconces — testify to the astonishing breadth of Hoffman’s creative pursuits. He was truly a giant of design.
Wiener Werkstätte
Born from the Vienna Secession art movement in Austria during the early 20th century, the Wiener Werkstätte helped to cement Art Nouveau style and culture in Viennese art. Wiener Werkstätte furniture included armchairs, cabinets and table lamps, with production extending to other crafts such as ceramics, jewelry and fashion. The Werkstätte also boasted a large graphic arts department, which created nearly 1,000 unique postcards during the organization’s run.
Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann, painter Koloman Moser and industrialist Fritz Waerndorfer established the collective in opposition to the dominant trends in Viennese art. The artistic community was then largely directed by the Association of Austrian Artists, which had firm control over the creation and distribution of Austrian art. The collective’s style pushed back against traditional artistic preferences, instead favoring clear, bold lines and often-exaggerated, vibrant colors.
Employing over 100 people, including several master craftsmen, the Werkstätte formed relationships and alliances with a number of firms and stores, which sold and commissioned new work from the workshop.
As the Wiener Werkstätte’s mission aligned with emerging British sensibilities regarding art, many British artists worked closely with the collective. Some major Austrian artists collaborated with the collective, without officially joining, such as painter Gustav Klimt.
The Werkstätte’s artistic range was extensive and eclectic, with the organization producing a wide variety of furniture. In 1932, the global economic collapse forced it to shut down. With the outbreak of WWII soon to follow, the Wiener Werkstätte never reopened. Its legacy lived on, however, in the numerous artists and craftspeople who carried forward its commitment to progressive cultural and creative endeavors.
On 1stDibs, find antique Wiener Werkstätte lighting, seating and storage pieces.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Vienna, Austria
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Pair of Original Josef Hoffmann & Wiener Werkstätte Chairs 1904 JugendstilBy Wiener Werkstätte, Woka Lamps, Josef HoffmannLocated in Vienna, ATJosef Hoffmann designed in the early stages of the Wiener Werkstätte apartments for the Wittgenstein Family in Vienna and Berlin. The significant pattern from this period were the st...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Jugendstil Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Original Chair Kolo Moser and Josef Hoffmann Attr. Jugendstil, Wiener WerkstätteBy Koloman Moser, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef HoffmannLocated in Vienna, ATAn armchair with design-vocabulary used by Kolo Moser and Josef Hoffmann in their early works from 1901 on.Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Chairs
MaterialsNutwood
- Original Josef Hoffmann and Wiener Werkstätte Chair Early 20th Century 1903By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef HoffmannLocated in Vienna, ATA very rare chair from the early stages of the Wiener Werkstätte. Variations were displayed at the Neustiftgasse showrooms of the Werkstatte and were also placed at the Brauner Mansi...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Beech
- Original Josef Hoffmann and Wiener Werkstätte Chair Early 20th Century 1903By Woka Lamps, Wiener Werkstätte, Josef HoffmannLocated in Vienna, ATA very rare chair from the early stages of the Wiener Werkstätte. Variations were displayed at the Neustiftgasse showrooms of the Werkstatte and were also placed at the Brauner Mansi...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Beech
- Original Important & Rare Jugendstil Wood Chair from 1901, Josef Hoffmann SchoolBy Woka Lamps, Josef HoffmannLocated in Vienna, ATVery rare chair from the early 20th century, school Josef Hoffmann, highly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, beechwood stained and varnished - Original.Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Armchairs
MaterialsBeech
- Original Josef Hoffmann & Kohn Jacob Chair from 1914By Woka Lamps, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Josef HoffmannLocated in Vienna, ATA very rare undocumented chair by Josef Hoffmann and J&J Kohn. An identical chair with leather upholstery is available as well.Category
Vintage 1910s Austrian Jugendstil Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Very Rare Josef Hoffmann 725 B/F Chair by Jacob and Josef KohnBy Josef HoffmannLocated in Munich, DENew belts, foam and zig zag fabric designed by Josef Hoffmann for Wiener Werkstätten. With Jacob and Josef Kohn label.Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Josef Hoffmann Wiener Werkstätte Armchair Restored Re-Upholstered LeatherBy Wiener Werkstätte, Josef HoffmannLocated in Vigonza, PaduaEra Art Nouveau, early 20th century museal modernist Wiener Werkstätte armchair restored re-upholstered leather by Josef Hoffmann. Solid walnut wood structure with original patina, with cast bronze...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Armchairs
MaterialsBronze
- Chair Thonet 811, Josef HoffmannBy Thonet, Josef HoffmannLocated in Praha, CZOriginal state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished.Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Rare Pair of Josef Hoffmann Model 725 B/F Chairs for J. & J. KohnBy Josef HoffmannLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of fantastic Vienna Secession bentwood chairs with upholstery designed by Josef Hoffman (1870-1956) and manufactured by J. & J. Kohn circa early 20th century. These armchairs are model 725 B/F designed in 1905 and are dated from the original production in the Austrian workshop. Quite a rare original pair, they feature ebonized bentwood frame with corner ball enforcement details and wine-red leather upholstery accented conforming decorative round tacks along the edge. Both retain factory label remnants as well as manufacturer's name branded to the underside. Provenance: Purchased from Modernism Gallery...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Upholstery
- Josef Hoffmann's rare set of four chairs in curved woodBy Josef HoffmannLocated in Milano, ITCOD-2072 Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956) Rare set of four chairs in curved polished wood and upholstered seat. Manufactured by JJ.Kohn, Vienna, 1907. 42x42xh46/75Category
Early 20th Century Austrian De Stijl Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Rare Josef Hoffmann Chair for Mundus Vienna Austria 1907-1914By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Josef HoffmannLocated in Den Haag, NLRare Josef Hoffman Chair for Mundus Vienna Austria 1907-1914 Leopold Pilzer, a junior partner at the bentwood furniture company Rudolf Weill & ...Category
Vintage 1910s Austrian Chairs
MaterialsRush, Bentwood