Josef Hoffmann, Kubus armchair for Wittmann

JOSEF HOFFMANN (Brtnice, Czech Republic, 1870 - Vienna, 1956) for Wittmann.
"Kubus" armchair.Designed in 1910, reissued in the 1960s.
Upholstered in black square-stitched leather, frame and legs in solid wood.
Armchair with patina typical of its age.
Made by Wittmann; Wittmann label and plaque.
Measurements: 70 x 90 x 75 cm. Seat height: 40 cm.

The Kubus design for Wittmann, created by Josef Hoffmann in 1910, signified a clear break with the excessive ornamentation of historicism and an affirmation of modern geometric language, based on the repetition of the square as a structural and aesthetic module. This piece not only reflected the ideals of the Wiener Werkstätte - precision, high quality craftsmanship and unity between form and function - but also anticipated 20th century rationalism by reducing furniture to clearly defined cubic volumes, becoming an early icon of modern design where structure and form take absolute prominence.

An 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.