Otto Wagner (1841-1918) & Jacob & Josef Kohn

Otto Wagner (1841-1918) and Jacob & Josef Kohn Salon model n°721 in curved stained wood, comprising a two-seat sofa and a suite of two armchairs and two chairs. Signed with the hot-stamp and the original publisher's label. Vienna, circa 1902-1905. Dim. H: 81 / W: 122 / D: 56cm for the bench. H: 81 / W: 42 / D: 43.5cm for the chairs. H: 81 / W: 55 / D: 56cm for the armchairs. (Old restorations and wear) Bibliography: - Jacob & Josef Kohn catalog, Edition Verlag Dry, 1985, similar model reproduced on page 60. - G.Candils & A. Blomstedt & T.Frangoulis & M.I. Amorin, Meubles en bois courbe, Edition Karl Krämer, 1984, similar model reproduced on page 30. Rare complete set designed in 1902 by Otto Wagner to furnish the dispatch offices of the newspaper "Die Zeit? Otto Koloman Wagner, born on July 13, 1841 in Penzing, a district of Vienna, and died on April 11, 1918 in Vienna, was an Austrian architect, active mainly in the city of Vienna. His Art Nouveau buildings and writings on urban planning earned him worldwide renown. From 1898 onwards, the typical elements of historicism became less and less present in his creations, and he entered a secessionist period that included the large-scale ornamentation for which he was known. Over time, his buildings became simpler and more functional in form. Wagner can thus be considered an ancestor of New Objectivity. His second villa, designed in 1905 but built in 1912-1913 in Hütteldorf, as well as the Lupusheilstätte and his last building in Neubau are perfect examples. The building of the Vienna Post Office Savings Bank brought him great recognition. Not only did he use the most modern materials, such as reinforced concrete and aluminum, but he also succeeded in synthesizing aesthetics and functionality. Not all of Wagner's projects were completed. For example, his favorite project was only partially realized. It involved transforming the avenue running from the city center along the Vienna River to Schönbrunn into a luxurious avenue. Only a few buildings were erected at Naschmarkt. Several plans for a municipal museum also remained in the draft stage. A museum was built several decades later, but not according to Wagner's plans. He also wrote theoretical books on art, particularly on town planning in general. In 1893, he won a prize for urban planning from the city of Vienna. In 1894, he succeeded Karl von Hasenauer as professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. That same year, he was commissioned to design the architecture of Vienna's subway railway. In 1898, he built his first Art Nouveau home, the Majolica House. Otto Wagner trained many renowned architects, including Josef Hoffmann, Emil Hoppe, Rudolf Schindler, Otto Schönthal and Marcel Kammerer. He also influenced Jan Kotěra, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Jože Plečnik, Hubert Gessner(de), Max Fabiani, Karl Pirich(de), Ernst Lichtblau(en) and many others. Throughout his life, Otto Wagner received numerous awards and titles. He was an architect, imperial court advisor, professor at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, honorary president of the Society of Austrian Architects, honorary president of the Federation of Austrian Artists, honorary member of the Royal Institute of British Architects in London, member of architects' associations in St. Petersburg, Brussels and Amsterdam, as well as in Portugal, Hungary and Canada, honorary member of the American Institute of Architects and vice-president of the International Artistic Congresses.