Chair for the Servant’s Room of Villa Friedmann, 1898/99

This plain chair was designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich (1867–1908) during his Vienna period. It was verifiably used in an upholstered version in a servant’s room of Villa Friedmann. Having been appointed in 1899 to Hessen by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig von Hessen und bei Rhein (1868–1937), the architect subsequently contributed to the expansion of the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony. While working simultaneously on the Vienna Secession building, Villa Friedmann and the Bahr residence, he further developed his conviction that furniture should unite both esthetical forms and emotion. In a manuscript dated 7th July 1898, Olbrich expressed his desire to cater to the many needs of his time. He wanted to sound out everything – from individual chairs to entire rooms – in order to combine beauty, decor and functionality. The architect and designer had to veritably train the artisans executing his designs, as they were reluctant to veer off the established paths.

Text Leopold Museum