Armchair; Germany, c. 1900.

Armchair; Germany, c. 1900.
Carved wood.
Measurements: 107 x 73 x 65 cm.
Armchair made in Germany around 1900, it is inscribed in a particularly significant moment of transition within the European applied arts, where the historicist currents begin to dialogue with new formal searches that would lead to modernity. Carved in wood, the piece is evidence of a complex craftsmanship that places its value in both technical skill and structural experimentation.
Its configuration stands out for its high, enveloping backrest, composed of a succession of vertical slats that, far from responding to a merely functional logic, build a rhythmic framework of great visual strength. The alternation between straight elements and cut-out shapes introduces a dynamism that suggests affinities with Jugendstil, especially in its tendency to stylize motifs.
Thus, this piece transcends its utilitarian function to place itself in an intermediate territory between furniture and artistic object. Its sculptural presence, combined with the precision of the handwork, reflects a moment in which design has not yet been completely separated from the decorative arts, but already points towards a more integrated and modern conception of the everyday object.