Originally from Russia, the painter and sculptor Oswald Dubach moved to Dornach, Switzerland – the centre of Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophical Society – in 1913. Initially he first worked on building the society’s headquarters, known as the first and second Goetheanums. Around 1930 he opened a woodcarving workshop in the second Goetheanum where furniture he designed were manufactured. These, like the chair shown here, typify the language of forms that grew out of Steiner’s philosophy, which, although based on organic and crystalline forms, also shows the influence of Cubism and Expressionism. The absence of right angles, the solid cross sections, and faceted sides lend this piece an appearance at once sculptural and dynamic.
Many of Dubach’s designs were made for the homes of adherents of the Anthroposophical Society, who settled in Dornach in greater numbers since the 1920s. Since Dubach is known to have worked closely with his pupils, gauging his personal contribution to the designs that emerged from the Goetheanum workshop is not always easy.
Text: Tilo Richter
