Klismos

A Klismos ( ancient Greek: κλισμός; Latin: cathedra ) is a seat from ancient times. He was already developed in the fifth century before Christ. Typical of the Klismos are a slightly curved backrest and curved chair legs with outwardly feet. He is regarded as one of the earliest examples of a design in which ergonomic factors play a role.

When Klismos is a high chair without armrest, but with a broad, sweeping backrest. Ever since Homer, this form of the chair is occupied as a seat of upscale people, heroes and gods. Both in Greek and in Roman art we find the Klismos in such scenes. In addition, he is seen frequently in school and house chamber scenes as well as in other everyday representations. For comfortable seats and footrests as stool or foot pads are often shown. In addition, one frequently sees the seated person puts her arm on the back to relax. A simpler seating is the Diphros.

The Klismos was built until about the fifth century AD. In Classicism you picked up this draft back. The architect Jean -Jacques Lequeu let him rebuild in 1786 to equip the in the " Etruscan style " furnished hôtel Montholon it. The equipment is - unlike the water-color drawings of the equipment - not survived. More chairs that were built in Paris in this design were determined for the painter Jacques -Louis David and built by Georges Jacob, 1788. They served as window dressing for the historical paintings of David.