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| Antiques & Collectibles |
Viennese Revival
Dana Micucci
04/01/2004
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Graphic Depictions
Graphic design constitutes yet another collectible
category from this period and comprises posters and decorative prints by a
variety of Wiener Werkstätte designers, including Moser, Loffler, Peche and Otto
Czeschka, and Vienna Secession artists Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Alfred
Roller. (The Secession was a circle of avant-garde Viennese artists, architects
and designers who seceded from the establishment’s Vienna House of Artists.) Top
quality posters affiliated with the Secession movement, which primarily
advertised its influential art exhibitions, are rare on the market, as are
posters advertising Wiener Werkstätte products.
 | | A WHITE-PAINTED Gitterwerk jardiniere by Josef Hoffmann |
“Posters are highly sought
after when they come up,” says New York dealer Mark J. Weinbaum. “Collectors
appreciate their imaginative designs which, like other graphics of the period,
combine figurative and abstract motifs in a distinctive aesthetic inspired by
Art Nouveau and modernist styles.” The stylization of the lettering, which
reflects this aesthetic, also appeals to collectors. Because they are rare and
bear historical significance, the posters sell for about $50,000 to $100,000.
Other collectibles are less expensive, such as the lithographs (available from
$1,000) depicting fabric and wallpaper designs by Moser, Czeschka and others
published in Die Quelle (The Source), a prominent design portfolio of the
period. Individual issues of Ver Sacrum (Sacred Word), the monthly Secession
publication produced from 1898 to 1903, boasting decorative woodcuts by
designers of the period, sell from $250 to more than $1,000 an issue.
“The
Wiener Werkstätte was far ahead of its time in promoting the aesthetic value of
objects as part of a total work of art concept,” says Kallir. “Like many
designers today, from Ralph Lauren to Donna Karan, Wiener Werkstätte designers
knew that the total work of art is us and our lives.” Additional Information
 Assessing Acquisitions
 Wiener Werkstätte Designers
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