Similar to the cabinet nearby, this chair invites reflections on the long lines of tradition that lead - seemingly unbroken - from the burgeoning of Classicism in the second half of the eighteenth century to the founding of the Deutsche Werkstätten in Hellerau around 1900. Elements such as the square sabre legs and the curved backrest are reminiscent of precursors from the Biedermeier period, which in turn followed classical models. Material and decorative minimalism also seem to have their foundation in Classicism. Instead of precious woods, as in the mahogany cabinet, simple oak wood was used here, which thanks to its omnipresence made serial production possible. The clear forms emphasise the function of the object. The chair differs from its predecessors from the Biedermeier period or from Antiquity in terms of its dissemination: it neither belonged to the furnishings of a princely table nor to an outstanding personality who commissioned it. Rather, the De-We chair became one of the most successful pieces of furniture because it was produced serially and held in stock by the Deutsche Werkstätten in Hellerau, thereby reaching a wide range of buyers.
The chair was designed in 1919 by one of the most distinguished representatives of German Art Nouveau, the Munich architect Richard Riemerschmid (1868-1957). Riemerschmid is one of the founding figures of the Deutsche Werkstätten and at the same time one of the most influential designers of his age, not just in the realm of furniture. In 1909, he was commissioned by the manufacturer Karl Schmidt to design a garden city in Hellerau, based on the celebrated model of the English town planner Ebenezer Howard. In addition to residential buildings and production sites, this city, it was agreed, should also feature facilities for everyday life such as shops, schools and surgeries.
The present piece has also become known as the Hellerau Chair or De-We Chair and was in great demand, especially in the period after the First World War. In order to reduce material costs and to rationalise production, the shoulder board was made of laminated wood - a groundbreaking technological innovation at the time the chair was designed. Similar to the cabinet nearby, the grain of the wood, which was subsequently coated, contributes greatly to the overall impression.
Text: Alexander Röstel