OBJECTS Interiors and the Art of Furniture Design Jan Kotěra (1871–1923) From the interior of the School of Applied Arts in Prague at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900 Ornamental features, 1900 Prague Carved maple wood, gilded, polychromed; 52 x 29 x 10 cm An energetic and skilful organiser, Jan Kotěra surrounded himself with many young artists, including Stanislav Sucharda, Jan Preisler, Jan Kastner and Celestýn Klouček, with whom he began promoting new ideas, rejecting the Historical Revival styles that prevailed in Czech architecture and art of the period. Kotěra’s designs for the Paris World’s Fair of 1900 – notably the interior representing the School of Applied Arts – fully embraced the spirit of Organic Art Nouveau, as is evident in the preserved sofa and ornamental features for the wall decoration. A similarly symbolic, lyrical touch was also characteristic of his collaborators’ works, such as the remarkable three-legged chair designed by Jan Kastner that blended folk art inspiration with a distinctly exotic touch.