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| Antiques & Collectibles |
Viennese Revival
Dana Micucci
04/01/2004
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A century after its founding, the objects of art—and of everyday
use—fashioned by the artisans of the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) still
captivate collectors with their innovative yet practical designs and their
impeccable handcraftsmanship. These items have achieved increasingly lofty
valuations at auction in recent years, as appreciation of the workshop has
grown.
 | | CLEAN LINES, such as those in this tea set designed by Josef Hoffmann, were a
hallmark of the early Wiener Werkstätte. |
Founded in 1903 by architect Josef Hoffmann and graphic designer and
painter Koloman Moser as an artist’s cooperative, the Wiener Werkstätte designed
and fashioned furniture, home furnishings, jewelry, glassware and posters and
prints for nearly three decades.
“The modern, minimalist aesthetic of many
Wiener Werkstätte creations gives them a timeless appeal,” says dealer Denis
Gallion of New York’s Historical Design. “Hoffman and Moser were so ahead of
their time. Whether you’re looking at a white-painted rectilinear Moser chair or
a streamlined Hoffmann teapot, you can see the purity of design, simplicity and
functional beauty that have attracted a growing number of collectors.”
Interest in modern Viennese design and the Wiener Werkstätte designers in
particular has been surging, fueled by groundbreaking
museum exhibitions, beginning nearly two decades ago with the Museum of Modern
Art’s Vienna 1900: Art, Architecture & Design in 1986 and culminating in the
opening three years ago of the Neue Galerie, a museum devoted to early 20th
century Austrian and German art and design, on New York City’s Upper East Side.
The growing appreciation for works by this inimitable clique of craftsmen and
artists is reflected in prices at auction—especially in those of silver pieces
and furniture.
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