Armchair thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Armchair

ca. 1898-1899 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The design for this chair was drawn by Joseph Maria Olbrich in about 1898 or 1899. It was intended for the music room of Dr Friedrich Victor Spitzer's town house in Vienna. Spitzer was a wealthy patron of the arts.

The shape of the chair appears to have been very popular at the time as at least two similar versions are known, one by Adolf Loos and another designed by Josef Niedermoser, whose firm made this chair.

This particular chair was made for the actor Maria Wölzl's apartment in Vienna, very shortly after the design was first produced for Dr. Spitzer.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Maple, stained, with upholstery, and brass feet
Brief description
Maple armchair with original upholstery in lilac, designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich, Vienna, made ca.1898-1899 by Josef Niedermoser.
Physical description
Dark varnished maple armchair, with brass feet,with original upholstery in lilac. Lower back stretcher is missing.
Dimensions
  • Height: 199cm
  • Width: 99cm
  • Depth: 62.5cm
Dimensions taken from departmental catalogue. Not checked on object. Suspect it may be 200 cm high and 100 cm wide
Styles
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • No (on the seat frame; writing)
  • IIII (seat frame; chisel-marked)
Gallery label
ARMCHAIR W.15-1982 'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900' This pattern of chair was originally designed by Olbrich for the wealthy patron, Dr. Friedrich Victor Spitzer. This example, however, was made for the actress Maria Wölzl. The architect and designer Adolf Loos used a similar chair in the Turnowsky apartment and others were shown by Niedermoser at the Paris 1900 Exhibition.(1987-2006)
Object history
This pattern of chair was designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich in about 1898 or 1899 for the music room in the town house of Dr Friedrich Victor Spitzer, a wealthy patron of the arts. This particular chair, however, was made for the actor Maria Wölzl's Vienna apartment in about 1898 to 1899.
Historical context
In about 1899 or 1900 Adolf Loos used a chair of very similar design in the Turnowsky apartment. The manufacturer, Josef Niedermoser, showed another variation at the Paris 1900 Exhibition. The dominant feature in the Spitzer music room was a piano, which bears a strong resemblance to a bed designed by Olbrich for the industrialist Max Friedmann in 1898. A number of similar chairs are included in photographs in the Niedermoser Archive of the Österreichisches Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna.
Production
Attribution note: Possibly mass produced: see condition report
Summary
The design for this chair was drawn by Joseph Maria Olbrich in about 1898 or 1899. It was intended for the music room of Dr Friedrich Victor Spitzer's town house in Vienna. Spitzer was a wealthy patron of the arts.

The shape of the chair appears to have been very popular at the time as at least two similar versions are known, one by Adolf Loos and another designed by Josef Niedermoser, whose firm made this chair.

This particular chair was made for the actor Maria Wölzl's apartment in Vienna, very shortly after the design was first produced for Dr. Spitzer.
Bibliographic references
  • Art Journal, Paris 1900, Exhibition, Special Number, p.112, illus. similar chairs shown by Niedermoser.
  • Cabinet Maker & Art Furnisher. 1900. XXI. p.86
  • Lambert, Thomas. Meubles de Style Moderne, Exposition Universelle de 1900. n.d. Paris. pl.28. no.4
  • Das Interieur. 1901. pp.105-105
  • Rukschcio, Burkhardt. Adolf Looos zum 110 Geburtstag. Bauforum. December 1980. XIII. p.8
  • Moderne Vergangenheit, Wien 1800-1900. Vienna: Kunstlerhaus, 1981. p.228
  • Sekler, Eduard F. Josef Hoffmann. Vienna: 1982. p.41
  • Sekler, Eduard F. Josef M. Olbrich 1867-1908. Darmstadt: 1983. p.127
  • Greenhalgh, Paul (Ed.), Art Nouveau: 1890-1914 . London: V&A Publications, 2000
Collection
Accession number
W.15-1982

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Record createdJune 7, 2001
Record URL
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