Repost 2017:

Furniture from the Vienna #GalliaApartment, 1914, #JosefHoffmann, now in the NGV. Hoffmann helped establish the #ViennaSecession, then the #WienerWerkstatte in 1903, with financial assistance from Moritz Gallia, a wealthy patron who commissioned the interiors for his family’s apartment from him. The Gallia children kept the furniture, silverware, crockery etc, and luckily for them and for us managed to get themselves and the furniture out of Vienna, despite restrictions on Jews, in 1938. When they died in the 70s, the NSW gallery decided not to buy it, thinking no one would be interested, but Terry Lane at the #NationalGalleryofVictoria did.

2021: after posting the pics I took myself, I did more research, read the book by grandson Tim Bonyhady, then wrote a Wikipedia article ! ‘Gallia family Hoffman Apartment collection’. In the process realised we’ve only got some of the furniture, the heavier timber pieces from the hall and smoking room, the lighter pieces from the boudoir, plus a reproduction sofa from Wittman Vienna, one chair from the dining room, and nothing from the main salon. Everything else was left behind or wore out. It was all much more richly coloured and lighter than the few pieces in display imply.

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