Richard Riemerschmid first conceived this chair with sinuous, sloping side supports and a rounded back for the coordinated interior of a music room. Commissioned by piano manufacturer J. Mayer & Co., the room, which included a stenciled frieze and an innovative brass chandelier, was exhibited at the Dresden international exhibition of 1899.
Critics lauded the musician’s chair, in particular, for its realization of linear decoration through innovative construction and form. The commission established Riemerschmid as an important voice in the Munich Jugendstil, or Youth Style, the German expression of the international Art Nouveau movement.
1992 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Barry Friedman Ltd. [1]
Notes:
[1] Invoice dated November 23, 1992 [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Collections Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, December 16, 1992.
