Seating ensemble Moritz Herrgesell school of Koloman Moser ca. 1902

Moritz Herrgesell studied architecture at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts from 1901 to 1905. His famous teacher was none other than Josef Hoffmann. Herrgesell benefited above all from the fact that the ties between the Vienna Secession, artisans and the School of Arts and Crafts were particularly close at this time and that there was frequent creative exchange between individual classes and their teachers.

This special situation also brought Moritz Herrgesell into contact with other renowned artists during his studies. The most influential role model here was the famous Viennese universal artist Koloman Moser. Hoffmann attested to Herrgesell’s “great talent and taste” and recommended him “as completely capable and skillful in all these tasks”. Moritz Herrgesell’s particular style can already be seen in his early design from 1903. The influence of his teachers is initially omnipresent and clearly noticeable. In the years that followed, however, his personal interpretation of furniture design became tangible. Herrgesell also regularly took part quite successfully in exhibitions and competitions. After completing his studies, he worked in his parents’ carpentry business and showed his designs with great success at national and international exhibitions and competitions.

The seating group shown here can be regarded as one of Moritz Herrgesell’s first completely independent works from his early creative period. The influences of his mentor Koloman Moser are clearly evident, but it is the fine details that clearly set Herrgesell’s design apart. This ensemble from the heyday of Viennese furniture art around 1900 is a rare museum piece from the circle of the most important artists of the time.