Wiener Werkstätte 1903-1932: the luxury of beauty

Abstract

The Wiener Werkstätte, founded by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and Fritz Waerndorfer, was an artists' and craftsmen's collective that existed in Vienna from 1903 until 1932. The artists' goal was to bring high-quality design and craft into all areas of life and to elevate everyday objects into pieces of art. During that time, the collective produced items in a variety of media including ceramics, furniture, glass, jewelry, metalwork, and textiles. The Wiener Werkstätte style influenced generations of architects from Bauhaus to Art Deco. This book features the work of well-known Wiener Werkstätte members such as Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and Dagobert Peche along with lesser known designers such as Gudrun Baudisch, Carl Otto Czeschka, and Ugo Zovetti. It also includes in-depth essays that explore the Wiener Werkstätte's long history and legacy.

Contents

Economics / Ernst Ploil -- Graphics / Rainald Franz -- Glass / Rainald Franz -- Metal / Elisabeth Schmuttermeier -- Bookbinding and leather / Isabella Croÿ-Frick -- Furniture / Christian Witt-Dörring -- Fashion, textiles, and wallpaper / Angela Völker -- Ceramics / Marianne Hussl-Hörmann -- Klimt and the Wiener Werkstätte / Ann-Katrin Rossberg -- Palais Stoclet / Christian Witt-Dörring -- Garden architecture / Anette Freytag -- From Vienna to New York / Christian Witt-Dörring -- The Wiener Werkstätte of America / Janis Staggs -- Joseph Urban and cosmopolitan productions / Janis Staggs -- Showrooms / Paul Asenbaum and Ernst Ploil -- Marks / Elisabeth Schmuttermeier and Marianne Hussl-Hörmann -- Timeline / Christian Witt-Dörring and Janis Staggs.