Following the style of Josef Hoffmann

Following the style of JOSEF HOFFMANN (Brtnice, Czech Republic, 1870 - Vienna, 1956).
Pair of Thonet style chairs, model 811, ca. 1960.
Black lacquered beech wood and square lattice seat.
With label Made in Poland.
Measurements: 83 x 57 x 52 cm; 44 cm (seat height).

This pair of Thonet-style chairs is characterized by its classic and elegant design, which stands out for its forms and bentwood work, giving it an organic appearance. Michael Thonet, a leading exponent of Viennese Art Nouveau, invented his own technique that made it possible to curve the wood in a unique way, giving it great plasticity and lightness, as can be seen in this openwork backrest, along with the armrests in the form of scrolls and slight curve of the legs.

Architect and industrial designer, Josef Hoffmann studied at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna, where he was a disciple of Carl Freiherr von Hasenauer and Otto Wagner, whose theories of a functional and modern architecture would profoundly influence his work. He won the Rome Prize in 1895, and the following year joined Wagner's office, collaborating with Olbrich on some projects for the Metropolitan. He established his own office in 1898, and taught at the Vienna School of Decorative Arts from 1899 to 1936. He was also a founding member of the Viennese Secession. In 1900 he traveled to London, where he came into contact with the English school and discovered Mackintosh. On his return he set up a workshop for the production of objects based on designs by artists of the Secession, and thus the Wiener Werkstätte was born, a workshop that exerted a great influence on the industrial design of the twentieth century. By 1903, production began on an international scale. Throughout his life, Hoffmann realized various projects for buildings and furnishings, and exhibited his creations all over the world. He is currently represented in the MAK and the Leopold Museum in Vienna, the Metropolitan and MoMA in New York, the Brohan in Berlin, the Courtauld Institute in London and the Victoria & Albert in London, among many others.