Weidner, Anke Grit (2025). Historische Polstermöbel in Schloss Wörlitz – Untersuchungen zum Bestand zwischen 1770 und 1830. (Thesis). Universität Bern, Bern

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Abstract

The Historic Upholstered Furniture of Wörlitz Palace – Studies on the Collection’s Seating Furniture Dating from 1770 to 1830. The Castle of Wörlitz is considered the inaugural building of German Classicism. In only four years architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff created a Palladian building of exemplary modernity, which was completed in 1773. The exceptionally forward-looking Leopold III. Friedrich Franz, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau specifically commissioned this summer house in the style of English country houses. Both the aesthetic and social transformations as well as changes in technique and craftsmanship associated with this project are addressed in this paper, which is dedicated to examining the role of Wörlitz in the development of a new style of furniture on the European continent. Not only did von Erdmannsdorff oversee the architectural design and construction of the palace, but he was also responsible for its interior. The design and production of the furnishings were tailored specifically to the building. This dissertation includes the first comprehensive study of the textiles used in the interior design. The focus lies on the collection of some 150 items of upholstered furniture dating from the time of construction through 1800. Most of the initial furnishings used for the building were designed by von Erdmannsdorff. Additional sets of furniture were commissioned from well-known German furniture-makers, such as David Roentgen and Friedrich Gottlob Hoffmann. These furnishings along with the later acquisitions and restyled pieces of furniture dating up until 1830 are among the some 200 objects that form the comprehensive basis of this study. The restoration of the Castle of Wörlitz between 2000 and 2020 provided me as a specialized conservator with the opportunity for an in-depth examination of the furnishings. My documentation of the materials, production techniques, and historical alterations of the furnishings, which accompanied the restoration process, have resulted in a new, detailed understanding of this period. The paper uses the preserved furnishings as its primary source of study and presents a full catalogue of the upholsteries dating from the period of the castle’s construction. This, together with previously unstudied documents, offers fresh conclusions about the upholstery work carried out at the Dessau court in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. For the first time this dissertation examines within this particular segment of furniture production the interplay between technical developments, the court notions about interior furnishings, and social transformation in the region of Saxony-Anhalt. Considering the frame and upholstery as a comprehensive unit, my study looks at the furnishings from a “textile perspective”. This look at historical upholstering techniques and the materials used in the process provides an enhanced understanding of the history of the upholstery craft. It offers the reader an overview ranging from simple slip seats to complex upholstery involving early coil spring constructions, which were considered highly innovative at the time. The interior outfitting of the castle has an evidently overarching interior design concept, which was planned in every last detail. The upholstered furnishings are considered as an important element of this Gesamtkunstwerk. This study also addresses the political function of this furnishing. Seating furniture was a primary means of representing status and class. This paper demonstrates that changing requirements related to function and comfort directly impacted the design and production of upholstery. The term “silhouette” is here introduced as a means of describing upholstered furnishings. As an inherent part of the castle interior, the upholstered furniture is treated as one element of a comprehensive interior design. The objects discussed here are presented in a detailed tour of the official reception areas and private chambers of the royal couple on the ground floor and the living quarters on the upper floor. The catalogue included in the paper provides the first exhaustive overview of the upholstery and relevant scholarship on these textiles.

Item Type:	Thesis
Dissertation Type:	Single
Date of Defense:	24 February 2025
Subjects:	700 Arts 700 Arts > 740 Drawing & decorative arts
Institute / Center:	06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Art History
Depositing User:	Hammer Igor
Date Deposited:	17 Apr 2025 14:40
Last Modified:	23 Apr 2025 07:52
URI:	https://boristheses.unibe.ch/id/eprint/6027

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