Lot 91

Josef Gočár (1880 - 1945) CUBIST BUREAU

This unique Cubist desk comes from the furnishings of the villa of the prominent Czech historian Professor Julius Glücklich, which was designed for him by Josef Gočár. Professor Glücklich furnished the functionalist villa in the Baba colony (Na Babě 2, Jarní ul. č.p.1798/3), built in 1934, with Gočár furniture that he already owned. There are photographs documenting furniture designed around 1912 by Josef Gočár, which was part of the furnishings of the professor's previous apartment. The Cubist desk is unique in the field of Czech pre-war design. The desk bears the characteristic elements of Gočár's work with cubist forms down to the smallest detail, including cubist fittings, while retaining the functionality of a work desk. A preserved photograph of the desk shows an extension that was later divided into three smaller shelves. The desk comes from the important collection of artist Ivan Steiger.

Published: GOČÁR, Josef, KYSELA, František, and JANÁK, Pavel. Čechische Bestrebungen um ein modernes Interieur. Prague: Selbstverlag der Prager Künstlerwerkstätten, 1915, (repro, p. 17). and BOŘECKÝ, Jindřich; EXNER, Ivan, and NOVOTNÝ, Tomáš. Josef Gočár, Otakar Novotný. Prague: S.V.U. Mánes, 2011, (repro, p. 64). and Umělecký měsíčník, vol. 1912-1913, supplement P.U.D. inserted before no. 6.