Viebahn Fine Arts

27/08/2026

Long before “Danish Design” became synonymous with twentieth-century modernism, Copenhagen’s cabinetmakers were already transforming international ideas with remarkable originality. This extraordinary gondola armchair was commissioned in 1857 by Johan Adam Schwartz for his father, Johan Georg Schwartz, proprietor of the celebrated firm I. G. Schwartz & Søn. Its timber came from a maple tree planted in the courtyard of the family premises in Sværtegade in 1806 and felled fifty-one years later to make way for a steam boiler—a poetic encounter between nature, craftsmanship and industrial progress, recorded on the chair’s engraved plaque. Its sweeping silhouette evokes French gondola chairs and English Regency “Roman” models, yet the pale figured wood, elaborate marquetry and sculptural turning give it an unmistakably Copenhagen character. Even more evocative is its history: in 1951, the chair was documented standing before the counter of the Schwartz shop, ready to receive “weary and leisurely customers” amid cabinets of ivory, tortoiseshell and precious materials.
An exceptionally rare survival of nineteenth-century Danish Design—with provenance, personality and presence.
Available from Viebahn Fine Arts. Enquiries are warmly invited.

31/07/2026

A striking dialogue between classical discipline and decorative eccentricity: this Empire guéridon, probably made in Paris in the early 19th century, is veneered in ash and supported by a baluster stem enriched with finely chased fire-gilt bronze mounts. Its sculptural tripod base terminates in paw feet inspired by ancient prototypes—a vocabulary entirely characteristic of the Empire style. Yet the tabletop is truly exceptional. Its central field consists of innumerable cross-cut sections of branches, meticulously arranged in a radiating, mosaic-like composition. Dark stringing and a broad geometric border of alternating triangular veneers frame this extraordinary surface. This technique, generally known as “oyster veneering,” takes its name from the shell-like appearance of the wood’s cross-section. It was particularly fashionable in England during the late 17th century, but seems highly unusual in furniture of the Empire period.
I have never encountered another Empire guéridon with such an elaborate veneer composition. Does anyone know of comparable examples—or have further insight into this fascinating combination of Parisian classicism and an older decorative tradition? Height: 75 cm | Diameter: 64 cm
The guéridon is currently available from Viebahn Fine Arts. For further information, please contact us at [email protected]

07/07/2026

A masterpiece of French Empire clockmaking and one of the finest sculptural mantel clocks of its period. Inspired by ancient Greek and Egyptian sculpture, this exceptional Empire pendule combines gilt and patinated bronze with a magnificent Red Griotte marble base. The solemn seated female figure supports an octagonal clock case adorned with striking cobalt-blue enamel panels. This sculptural design emerged in the early years of the nineteenth century and became highly popular, although only a small number of related examples have survived.
The figure has traditionally been identified as Urania, the Muse of Astronomy, an attribution that complements the scientific character of the clock. Yet a closely related model published by Niehüser identifies the figure as Cybele, the ancient earth mother and mother of all gods. Could this remarkable sculpture represent celestial knowledge—or divine motherhood? The question remains open.
The movement is signed by Jean-Antoine Lépine, one of the greatest clockmakers in European history. Celebrated for his revolutionary innovations in horology, Lépine created clocks for the courts of Louis XVI and later Napoleon Bonaparte, securing his lasting place among the most influential makers of his age. Available and for sale Viebahn Fine Arts

29/06/2026

Designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841) around 1829 and produced at the Royal Prussian Gewerbe-Institut for Peter Christian Beuth, this exceptionally rare armchair is among the very few documented surviving pieces created under the institution’s pioneering programme of design reform. Inspired by the monumental thronos chairs of ancient Greece, Schinkel combined archaeological scholarship with the finest craftsmanship of the Berlin workshops. Executed in Brazilian rosewood with intricate brass and copper marquetry, the chair also reflects the influence of English Regency furniture that Schinkel encountered during his 1826 journey to England. Its provenance is equally remarkable: commissioned by Beuth, it remained within the Beuth–Quincke family for almost two centuries and has been documented in Schinkel scholarship since the mid-20th century.
In 2025, we were delighted to place this remarkable armchair in the collection of an international museum, where it will soon be exhibited in the permanent galleries—a fitting new chapter for such an exceptional survivor of Prussian design history.

24/06/2026

Few places capture the spirit of the Rhine Romantic movement as vividly as Schloss Rheinstein. Painted in 1836, this evocative interior view leads the eye from the shadowy Knights’ Hall through a Gothic archway toward the moonlit Rhine, where two young women stand on the balcony, one holding a lute. The interplay of darkness and light, medieval architecture, stained glass, historic arms, and the romantic river landscape reflects the fascination with the Middle Ages that defined the age of Rheinromantik.
The setting itself is of exceptional historical significance. Schloss Rheinstein was the first ruined Rhine castle to be rebuilt in the 19th century under Prince Friedrich of Prussia, becoming a pioneering monument of the Romantic rediscovery of Germany’s medieval past. The reconstruction was inspired by designs prepared by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, whose vision helped transform the ruin into one of the most celebrated symbols of Rhine Romanticism.
The painting is signed “A. Becker” and dated 1836, yet despite extensive research I have so far been unable to identify the artist with certainty. Its provenance is equally fascinating: the work originates from the collection of Prince Oskar of Prussia.
I would be delighted to hear from fellow scholars, collectors, and followers: does anyone have information about this mysterious painter, or perhaps a theory as to who “A. Becker” might have been?

18/06/2026

Antinous as Osiris — one of the most fascinating images to emerge from the encounter between the Classical and Egyptian worlds. This finely carved marble figure, executed around 1800 and likely created in Italy for the Grand Tour market, depicts Antinous, the celebrated companion of Emperor Hadrian, in the guise of Osiris, the Egyptian god of rebirth and eternal life. Historians generally understand the relationship between Hadrian and Antinous as a romantic one. Following Antinous’ death in AD 130, Hadrian deified the young man, leading to an unprecedented cult and making Antinous one of the most frequently represented individuals of the ancient world. Such images were inspired by celebrated Roman prototypes that became highly admired among European travelers and collectors during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The sculptor successfully combines the idealized beauty associated with Antinous with the distinctive attributes of Egyptian royal and divine imagery.
Standing an impressive 74 cm high, the sculpture possesses a scale that allows it to function not only as a scholarly object but also as a striking focal point in a library, entrance hall, or sophisticated contemporary interior.
The sculpture is currently available .
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18/06/2026

17/06/2026

It is a special pleasure for me to present an object from my hometown of Bremen: this rare pair of Rococo silver candlesticks, crafted around 1770 by the Bremen goldsmith Johann Christoph Buschmann II (active 1756–1795). Marked with both the Bremen town assay mark and the maker’s mark, the candlesticks are a remarkable survival of 18th-century Bremen silver. Unlike the great silver-producing centers of Augsburg or Hamburg, Bremen’s goldsmiths worked primarily for the city’s own affluent clientele. Their finest patrons were likely the wealthy merchants whose fortunes were built through the Hanseatic trade networks. Standing 26 cm high and weighing an impressive 950 grams, this pair represents an unusually large and luxurious commission. The elegant Rococo design, enriched with acanthus leaves and floral ornament, reflects both the artistic sophistication and economic prosperity of Bremen in the late 18th century. Now available Viebahn Fine Arts

16/06/2026

Among the rare survivors of Renaissance court culture is this extraordinary serving knife made for Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria (1528–1579), one of the most important patrons of the arts north of the Alps. The steel blade is etched with the Bavarian coat of arms and the inscription “A.H.I.O.V.N.B.” (“Albrecht Herzog in Ober und Nieder Bayern”), leaving no doubt about its direct connection to the ducal household. Serving knives such as this were essential instruments of courtly dining ceremonies. The prestigious office of the Vorschneider (carver) required both skill and noble bearing, as food was carved and presented before high-ranking guests according to strict court etiquette. Long believed lost, this knife once belonged to the celebrated Kunstkammer of Munich. Particularly fascinating is the fact that its matching counterpart has since been identified in the collections of the Musée Le Secq des Tournelles in Rouen. A few years ago, I had the honor of placing this remarkable object in the Treasury of the Munich Residenz, where it can still be admired today.

09/06/2026

A refined example of early 19th-century taste: this elegant white marble tazza, likely Berlin, circa 1800, reflects the enduring fascination with antiquity that shaped the period. Inspired by archaeological discoveries in Pompeii and Herculaneum, such forms became central to the visual language of Neoclassicism. In Berlin, this aesthetic was championed by figures like Karl Friedrich Schinkel, whose influence extended beyond architecture to interior design and the decorative arts. At the same time, skilled stonecutters—including Christian Gottlieb Cantian (1794–1866)—regularly exhibited their work at the Akademie exhibitions, contributing to the city’s vibrant artistic production. This finely carved marble tazza exemplifies the era’s pursuit of clarity, proportion, and historical reference—while remaining an exceptionally decorative object in its own right.
Now available .