Master Art

Designed by: Leopold Bauer
First-class Viennese cabinet making

Glass case upper section: D 36 cm, shelf depth: 29 cm

Rose wood and rose wood veneer, geometrical inlay in ebony and boxwood, surface slightly repolished, interior made of satinwood and satinwood veneer, brass fittings, fitted brass shelf support system, cut and faceted glass and mirror, very beautiful restored condition.

The 8th Secession exhibition in 1900, which was held in the Secession, the first important Art nouveau building in Vienna designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich, showed furniture and other craft products designed by representatives of the English arts and crafts movement such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, his wife Margaret McDonald and Charles Ashbee. Austria was represented by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Leopold Bauer. These three were the most important proponents of the Secessionist movement in the areas of architecture and arts and crafts. This was a courageous and unusual step since up to that time applied and fine arts had always been strictly separated. The recognition given to the artistic activity of furniture design and the cabinetmakers who executed the pieces gave the initial impulse for Viennese Jugendstil to develop further. A number of open-minded upper middle class people derived pleasure from this stylistic renewal and awarded the architects Hoffmann and Bauer with commissions for numerous villas and apartments. Koloman Moser was entrusted with furnishing a number of apartments.