This set of four antique bentwood cafe chairs designed by Josef Hoffman and manufactured by Thonet are circa 1920. The iconic bentwood cafe bistro chair has a simple design with elegant curves using minimal pieces of wood – a hallmark of all Thonet-style bentwood chairs. This model is a unique variation featuring a flat slatted backrest and distinctive two-tone wood pattern. This lovely set of dining chairs are solid and well-made and perfectly aged with great vintage character. Marked “Thonet” on undersides.
Josef Hoffman
Architect-designer Josef Hoffmann was born in 1870 in Prinitz, Moravia (now Brtnice, the Czech Republic). He also became one of the founding members of the Vienna Secession, a group of artists (including Gustav Klimt, Carl Moll, and others) who favored a modern, experimental approach to the arts. Around 1900, Hoffmann became a proponent of the Gesamtkunstwerk (or total work of art) approach, exemplified through unified architecture and interior design, with an emphasis on craftsmanship. Throughout his prolific 50-year career, Hoffmann designed everything from textiles to furniture, fashion, jewelry, exhibitions, and buildings for prestigious clients like Lobmeyr and Lötz. Later in his life, he focused primarily on housing projects. Aesthetically, his work evolved from Jugendstil to more minimal, geometric forms and then on toward neoclassicism. He died in Vienna in 1956.
CONDITION
Very good vintage condition with wear consistent with age and use. The backrests have naturally worn along the top over time. Two chair seats have some spill marks and spots as per photos.
DIMENSIONS
W 15.75” x D 19.5” x H 36.5”
Seat Height: 18.5”
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