Toilette Cabinet from the Bedroom of the Daughter of the Textile Industrialist Max Biach, 1902

This toilette cabinet was designed by the architect and designer Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) in 1902 for the bedroom of then 17-year-old daughter of the textile industrialist Max Biach (1870–1912), Katharina. Hoffmann, a co-founder of the Vienna Secession, created a Gesamtkunstwerk, or universal work of art, with this ensemble shortly before the foundation of the Wiener Werkstätte. It included the furniture, the lamps, the wall decorations and the textiles for this wealthy family’s residence. This toilette cabinet appears modern in terms of its functional setup, as it comprises a mirror and cabinets for storing toiletries both above and under the marble sink with warm and cold water taps. The item of furniture is made from wood varnished white, blue and black. Its geometrical design vocabulary corresponds to the early Viennese interpretation of Jugendstil. The bedroom’s decoration further included a mirror cabinet, two wardrobes, an armoire, a bed with a nightstand and a desk and chair.

MR, 2021