DESIGNED BY JOSEF HOFFMANN FOR SONIA KNIPS' APARTMENT, VIENNA, CIRCA 1903

The Knips family were loyal patrons of Hoffmann and close to the Secession movement from its outset. Sonia Knips' portrait was painted by Klimt in 1898, and was exhibited at the second Secession exhibition of that year. In 1903 Hoffmann produced designs for the interior of Sonia Knips' apartment in Gumpendorferstrasse, Vienna, and also designed the Knips family country house and boathouse at Seeboden. Hoffmann worked further on Sonia Knips' Vienna apartment both in 1909, (dining room), and in 1915/16 when it was substantially enlarged. The Knips family tomb was designed by Hoffmann in 1919, and his last commission was to design a large town house for Sonia Knips, in 1924/5. A virtually identical chair may be seen in an interior of the Knips apartment, illustrated: Das Interieur, Vol. IV, 1903, p. 79, (reproduced opposite). Another view of the same interior, confirming Hoffmann as the designer is illustrated: Die Moderne Wohnung und Ihre Ausstattung, 1905, p. 29.
For further details of Hoffmann's work for the Knips family, see: Eduard. F. Sekler, Josef Hoffmann. The Architectural Work, Princeton, 1985.