RICHARD RIEMERSCHMID (1868-1957) GAMES TABLE, CIRCA 1905 mahogany (72cm long, 74.5cm high, 60cm deep) Footnote: Literature: Nerdinger, W. Richard Riemerschmid. Vom Jugendstil zum Werkbund, Munich 1982, p.202, fig.135 Note: Heavily regarded as one of the leading designers of the Jugendstil movement, Richard Riemerschmidt initially trained as a painter before turning his attention to furniture and architecture in 1895. Inspired by the ideology of the Arts & Crafts movement, he produced a number of designs for furniture, textiles, ceramics and glass using simple forms and materials to create pieces that very much conveyed a functional aesthetic. In 1897 Riemerschmidt was co-founder of the Deutsche Werkstãtten für Kunst und Handwerk and the Deutscher Werkbund in 1907, and pioneered the machine production of artistically designed wooden furniture. He championed low-cost material, and simple yet solid craftsmanship to advocate affordable design for everyday living.