Danish Armchair

This chair is of highly elaborate design and exceptional craftsmanship. Open arms enclosing ornamental stylised foliage. Pierced turned reeded front legs, drop in seat and padded back covered in horsehair.

The unusual design of this Biedermeier armchair was most likely made by a leading architect of the time. The Danish architect and painter Gustav Friedrich von Hetsch (1788-1864) was often responsable, just like his colleague from Berlin Karl Friedrich Schinkel, for the design of entire interiors. One of Hetsch’s first major projects was the interior decoration of the rebuilt Christiansborg Palace.

Most of his accomplishments though were in the area of the decorative arts, where he published between 1839 and 1842 a series of designs for craftsmen ‘Fortenigner for Haandvaerkere.’ This armchair shows many similarities to the oeuvre and the typical ornaments used by Hetsch.