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A master also of the small form

Of course, the genius from Neuruppin is mainly known for his buildings. From his youth, however, he was also interested in painting, interior design and the design of furniture and porcelain.
The defeat of Napoleon and the French occupation brought about a time when building activity and orders fell considerably in Prussia, so Schinkel devoted himself more to painting. Through the mediation of his friend Wilhelm von Humboldt, he was given a job in the Chief Building Administration and, as a still relatively unknown architect, was commissioned to design interiors for Queen Luise, including the famous muslin coverings for her bedroom. Even here, he drew on an antique formal language and decorated the bed and small pieces of furniture with volutes and garlands; two flower tables even cite the shape of a Roman altar.

Later, he continued to design interiors and furniture for royal residences, which he often had made by his friend, the court carpenter Karl Wanschaff. When he was commissioned to build a summer house in Charlottenburg Park, he worked with Wanschaff again.

Meanwhile, the transition from manufacturing to industrial production was gaining momentum in Prussia and the founder of the Berlin Trade Institute, Peter Beuth, came up with the idea of publishing pattern books for craftsmen and manufacturers. Here they found decoration suggestions for everything from flower pots to steam engines, in the classicist style and antique form. Schinkel’s ideas and designs thus found their way into both arts and crafts and mass production. Today, his cast iron garden furniture is still reproduced as replicas, ornate furniture based on his designs is offered at antique fairs and the precious originals, such as the chair pictured here, can be found on display also in Charlottenburg.