Gaspar Homar

H. W. Janson, New York
Thence by descent

Gaspar Homar:  Moblista I dissenyador del modernisme, Barcelona, 1998, p. 69 (for a similar chair with variant floral decoration in the collection of the Museu d'Art Modern del MNAC, Barcelona)

Overall in good original condition. The chair frames with surface scratches, nicks, dings and minor losses throughout. The top of the seat arms with significant rubbing to finish as a result of use and therefore appear lighter in color that the rest of the chair as seen in the catalogue illustration. The backsplat of each of the chairs with natural separation of the joints consistent with age. One chair with a noticeable separation to the proper left side measuring less than a ¼ inch extending the entire length of the joint. This chair also with a minor stable crack below the seam on the reverse of the proper left side. One small loss on this chair to one of the front decorative elements of the lower proper left base of the seat back, measuring approximately one inch. The other chair with a similar separation to the proper right side of the far left of the upper portion of the seat back, which has not come completely apart, but the joint is visible, which is not part of the original design. This chair with another age separation in the frame at the lower stretcher. Both chairs remain structurally stable. The leather seats with very good condition with a wonderful acquired patina with age. With minor surface scratches, and nicks. One chair with a ½ inch tear to the leather at the back of the seat, which has not penetrated completely through the leather. The other chair with an area of darker discoloration to the rear of the seat parallel to the seat back extending slightly over one inch. Both of these conditions are minor and do not detract. The abreacted floral marquetry decoration of the seat back is in very good condition. One of the nails on the front of the seat is slightly loose, otherwise all the nail tacts are in place. Perhaps the first time Homar's work has appeared in America.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Though a noted designer of the Art Nouveau movement, Gaspar Homar’s work has only recently been introduced to a broader audience outside of his native Spain through the traveling exhibition “Barcelona and Modernity.”  However to classify his work as simply art nouveau in style is to underestimate the eclectic and varying influences on Homar’s design.  Trained under the master craftsman Francesc Vidal after leaving his home in Majorca, Homar retained the value of design and artistry throughout his career.  His furniture is characterized by intricacies of floral marquetry and inclusion of exotic woods.  Although clearly absorbing his European contemporaries aesthetic for curvilinear and ornate designs, Homar’s work is infused with the Gothic and Mediterranean influences of his cultural heritage.  Homar emerged alongside his contemporary Antonio Gaudi as a star Spanish furniture and interior designer.  The majority of his designs remain in private residences and permanent museum collections throughout Spain.

These chairs were formerly in the collection of H. W. Janson, distinguished author and art historian, and his wife, Dora Jane Janson.  He began his career in the United States after fleeing Nazi controlled Germany in the 1930 as a statement of opposition to their policies on the arts.  He went on to become a significant art historical figure in the United States, as a writer and professor.  While in residence at Washington University in the late 1940s, he developed one of the pre-eminent collegiate collections of Modern art, which was the subject of a traveling exhibition entitled Exile and Modernism in 2004.  For 25 years he served as the head of the Art History department of New York University.  Dora Jane Janson Author of many books, his 1962 History of Art, co-written with his wife, remains the seminal introductory text of art history.