Stock No: 15737

A German Neo-Gothic oak armchair attributed to Edwin Oppler (1831-1880). The chair bears the inscription 'Ernst is das leben, heiter die kunst', or 'Life is Serious, Art is Cheerful' on wonderfully carved banners unfurling amongst Gothic tracery. The motto is taken from Friedrich Schiller's Wallenstein Trilogy of 1800. The chair is beautifully carved and the letter G is inscribed within a shield on the top rail. It has been suggested that this is to indicate George V, son of Ernst August the last King of Hanover.

German, c.1850. Later upholstery.

Edwin Oppler was a well-regarded German Jewish Architect, and a proponent of the Neo-Gothic style. He came to know the Gothic style when he worked on the restoration of Notre Dame in Paris. His style then evolved to encompass what had so inspired him in this great Gothic masterpiece. His connection with George V arose when he took over the project of Schloss Marienburg from Conrad Wilhelm Hase in 1864, where he also designs furniture that shares many characteristics with this chair.
In his career, he went on to design many synagogues, all of which were tragically destroyed during Kristallnacht.

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