Richard Riemerschmid was a German architect, artist, and designer, known as a standard bearer for the German Jugendstil movement. His simple yet elegant furniture, dinnerware, and architecture, are widely appreciated for their workmanship and unique lines. Born on June 20, 1868 in Munich, Germany, the artist studied at the Wilhelmsgymnasium, then under Gabriel von Hackl at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, graduating in 1890. His art production was eclectic over the course of his career. Beginning as a commercial painter, Riemerschmid found acclaim for his illustrations, which led him to an interest learning to produce handcrafted objects. The artist’s legacy in design and architecture is tremendous, and notably includes producing luxury cabin interiors for the ocean liner SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie, city planning for the garden city of Hellerau, Germany, and pioneering machine production of wooden furniture. By the time of his death on April 13, 1957 in Munich, Germany, he had received numerous awards, including the Goethe Medal for Art and Science in 1943. Today, there is a secondary school in Cologne named in his honor, the Richard-Riemerschmid-Berufskolleg, and his works can be found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.