Robert Venturi

David B. Brownlee, David G. De Long, and Kathryn Hiesinger, Out of the Ordinary:  Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Associates, Philadelphia, 2001, p. 205 (for the example in the collection of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc.)

Overall in very good original condition. The frame with some minor edge nicks and surface scratches consistent with gentle use. The seat cushion with some minor crazing and rubbing to the surface, which is commensurate with age and use. The cushion is affixed to the chair frame. The patterned portion of the chair remains in excellent condition. With some minor surface dirt consistent with age. A very rare work by Venturi to appear on the market from a limited series.
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.

While he was a Vice President of Design at Knoll during the years 1976-1986, Jeffrey Osbourne played a key role in the development of the furniture series designed by Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. One of the central debates throughout the process was determining how many different styles and patterns could be mass-produced by the firm, and Osbourne  wrote at the time that “Bob Venturi’s design premise is one of pluralism, and not one of an aesthetic ideal…Bob has designed a collection with the intention of offering many varieties of the same basic product…When describing his intentions for the opening exhibition of the collection, Bob used the analogy of a flower garden teeming with variety.” However, by the time of the debut exhibition at Knoll's Soho showroom in May 1984, the series of designs and patterns was in fact winnowed down, and the “Art Nouveau” chair design, its form directly based on a period Art Nouveau chair illustrated in the 1967 catalogue 1900 in Barcelona, was not put into production. Only five examples of the model, each with a different finish, are presently known to exist, including an example in the collection of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc., an example sold at Christie’s New York, November 27, 1999, lot 131, and the present example, which was retained by Osbourne.