From the music room of House Behrens at Mathildenhoehe Darmstadt, Germany. Manufactured by: Pianofortefabrik Schiedmayer, Stuttgart. Marquetry manufactured by: G. Woelfel, Stuttgart. Opulently inlaid corpus with geometric square ornaments and pinion motif in palisander, mahogany, maple, cherry tree and walnut as well as birch, partly colored in red, lapis lazuli, malachite and mother-of-pearl inlaid work, legs lacquered black, music stand with beam ornament in brass, sawed. Keyboard lid inside with inscription designed by Peter Behrens: PIANOFORTEFABRIK SCHIEDMAYER STUTTGART (copper inlay). Piano with relief mark: GROSSE GOLDENE MEDAILLE FÜR KUNST UND WISSENSCHAFT PARIS 1900 GRAND PRIX, several emblems and trademarks. Serial-No. 32345. Height 99 cm; 190 x 152 cm.


Centenarium. Einhundert Jahre Künstlerkolonie Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt 2003, Abb. S. 84, 104/105; Kat. Museum Künstlerkolonie Darmstadt, hrsg. von R. Ulmer, Darmstadt [1990], S. XXV. 196; Alan Windsor, Peter Behrens, Architekt und Designer, Stuttgart, 1985, S. 26-27; Peter Behrens und Nürnberg, München 1980, Abb. S. 109; Ausst. Kat. Ein Dokument Deutscher Kunst, Darmstadt 1976, Bd. 5, Abb. S. 66; Peter Behrens, Gedenkschrift mit Katalog. Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern 1966/67, Abbildung 17; Kunstgewerbeblatt, Leipzig 1911," Das Musikzimmer", Abb. S. 191; Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, Bd. 21, Leipzig 1900/01, S. 939-940; Katalog Haus Peter Behrens, Provisorische Ausgabe 15. Mai 1901, S. 15; Ein Dokument deutscher Kunst: Die Ausstellung der Künstler-Kolonie in Darmstadt 1901, Festschrift, München 1901, Abb. S. 43; The Studio, An illustrated Magazine of fine & applied Art, Vol. 24, Oct. 1901, Nr. 103, S. 27; Abb. ; Karl Scheffler, "Das Haus Behrens", in: Die Kunst, Monatshefte für freie und angewandte Kunst, Bd. 6, München 1902, S. 2 ff. mit Abb.; Kurt Breysig: "Das Haus Peter Behrens", Mit einem Versuch über Kunst und Leben, in: Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration, Bd. IX, Okt.1901-März 1902, S. 135 ff. mit Abb.

This grand piano was part of the music room in House Behrens, which was built in 1901 for the exhibition Ein Dokument Deutscher Kunst at Mathildenhoehe in Darmstadt. The house as well as all the interior decoration, furniture and lamps were designed by the architect and painter Peter Behrens.

Flanked by two big candelabras the grand piano stood in a niche of the music room, below the painting "A Dream", painted by Peter Behrens himself. First and most important is the opulent geometric ornamentation with elaborate inlaid work of different, partly colored lumbers, mother of pearl, lapis lazuli, malachite and brass. The design of the facetted legs is extraordinary. The basic ornamental elements are bundled beams, a birds wing and interlaced diamond and square forms. These three motifs, which are interpreted as sunbeams, eagle wings and diamond, are based on the great influence of Friedrich Nietzsches influential poetic and philosophic work "Also sprach Zarathustra", 1883-85.

Around 1900 Schiedmayer piano factory, Stuttgart, had got the commission for a grand piano, designed by architect Peter Behrens, for the music room of his house, after Behrens had been impressed by other Schiedmayer instruments. This Schiedmayer grand piano, offered in the special auction at VON ZEZSCHWITZ, Munich, on April 19th, 2012, with the serial number 32345, was manufactured between 1900 and 1901. The original drawing of the Peter Behrens design is considered to be lost. However a great number of contemporary photographs, published in several art magazines around 1901, show the exact appearance.

In 1903 Peter Behrens left the artist colony at Mathildenhoehe Darmstadt and got a position at the Duesseldorf School for Applied Arts. He sold House Behrens in Darmstadt as well as parts of the interior decoration and furniture. It is not known where the music room furniture, especially the grand piano, went after the sale. Comparing the pattern and colors of the inlaid work with the historic illustrations, it is certain, that this unique grand piano is identical with the one of the music room in House Behrens. According to information given by Schiedmayer, Stuttgart, no other copy of this model was built.

Professionally reconditioned; ready to be played.