In 1934, Paul Lester Wiener designed the present model armchair for Dr. Fritz Wittels’ living room in New York City. Dr. Wittels, an early proponent of psychoanalysis and the first biographer of Sigmund Freud, commissioned Wiener to design a modern apartment that would also serve as a reception and treatment area for his patients. As such, Wiener’s designs were made with their psychological value and effect in mind. The apartment was primarily white with blue and red accents, and much of the furniture relied on geometric and architectonic forms. The present model chair, which was originally lacquered red, fit perfectly within this design scheme. In the November 1935 issue of Domus, Gio Ponti praised Wiener’s modern design and described him as a model for the avant-garde in the United States. Later in his career, Paul Lester Wiener achieved eminence for his collaboration with Le Corbusier on urban planning projects in South America and for redeveloping the Washington Square Park area of New York City in 1958.