Bloemenwerf Side Chair
- Henry Van de Velde, Belgian, 1863-1957
- Born: Antwerp, Belgium
- Work Locations: Belgium, Germany, Zurich, Switzerland
Henry Van de Velde, Bloemenwerf Side Chair, 1895–98. Oak and rush; 13 × 17 1/2 × 15 1/2 in. Denver Art Museum: Funds from 1994 Collectors’ Choice.
Henry Van de Velde
Belgian, 1863–1957
Bloemenwerf Side Chair
1895–98
Oak and rush
Funds from 1994 Collectors’ Choice, 1994.641
This chair gets its name from Henry Van de Velde’s home near Brussels, called Bloemenwerf. Van de Velde designed and built the home as well as its interior—from the furnishings to the wallpaper—resulting in a unified design that demonstrated the idea of a Gesamtkunstwerk (“total work of art”). The chair illustrates the designer’s skill in combining utilitarian and decorative qualities in his work. Each component exists because it is a structural necessity and the chair’s decorative qualities come from the slightly curving back and legs.
