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    • Josef Hoffmann, Porträt, 1903 ©
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    Josef Hoffmann, Master of the Gesamtkunstwerk

    Around the year 1900, Vienna was the pulsating heart of the Habsburg Monarchy. In this turbulent time, the art world was under upheaval as well. One of the most important trailblazers for architecture and design in the 20th century was Josef Hoffmann.

    „From Pavillons to Cigarette Cases“ - Hoffmanns vision of a Gesamtkunstwerk

    Portrait of Josef Hoffmann, Vienna, after 1945 / MAK - Museum of Applied Arts
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    Josef Hoffmann was born in 1870 in Pirnitz, Mähren. At the time, the industrial revolution with its positive as well as negative social and societal consequences, such as housing shortages in urban areas, child labour, widespread poverty and pollution, was in full swing.

    When Hoffmann began studying architecture in 1892 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, he was inspired by the English and Scottish movement Arts & Crafts, which aimed to infuse all areas of life with art. Beautiful, functional objects were to make everyday life easier and more pleasant for wide sections of society. The young Hoffmann and his friends were convinced that art can even “heal” the human soul.

    Josef Hoffmann, Reconstruction of the Boudoir d'une grande vedette [Boudoir for a Great Star], World's Fair Paris, 1937 / MAK - Museum of Applied Arts
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    The outstanding Viennese architect Otto Wagner was one of Hoffman’s teachers at the academy and shared his opinion. Both regarded the role of the architect as extending beyond the art of building. Rather, architects should be designers that consider even the smallest items to create a harmonious whole. Hoffmann stayed true to this conviction throughout his life. No task was ever too big, and none too small.

    Among Hoffmann’s architectural masterpieces are the Sanatorium Westend in Purkersdorf bei Wien as well as the Palais Stoclet in Brussels (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage), whose interiors and gardens were planned down to the last detail by Hoffmann himself.

    He even took into consideration the wardrobe of the lady of the house. In his opinion, the dress she wore during the opening of the private Palais did not entirely harmonize with the rest of the ensemble, which prompted him to turn towards fashion design as well. Everything had to be perfectly styled, a true Gesamtkunstwerk!

    Le Corbusier said of Hoffmann «Today, as the new generations... profit from the fruits of the labour of the true trailblazers, ... it is only right... to show our gratitude to men such as Professor Hoffmann and to enterprises as daring as the Wiener Werkstätte. At last, what remains is the ‘necessary superfluous’, art itself.“

    Josef Hoffmann, brooch with a bird, mother-of-pearl, property of Emilie Flöge, 1910
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    „WW,“ the logo of the Wiener Werkstätte stood for simple forms and elegance in everyday life. In some ways, Josef Hoffmann can be regarded as the forerunner of today’s „corporate design“ concept, as he lived and breathed his idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk. He created countless designs for functional and decorative items that are still used today by companies such as Alessi, Augarten Porzellanmanufaktur, Wittmann, J & L Lobmeyr and Backhausen.

    For almost 30 years, from 1903 to 1932, this production community of artists and craftspeople was a concept unique to Europe. The creative group constantly communicated with its clients and created aesthetically pleasing quality products by combining old crafting techniques with modern designs.” Better to work ten days on one product than to produce ten products in one day,” was the motto of the circle around Hoffmann. The goal was to move away from industrial mass production. A tendency that is experiencing somewhat of a comeback today with the yearning for sustainability and quality handcrafted items.

    Josef Hoffmann, Porträt, 1903 ©
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    „A great number of young talents worked with great motivation,“ wrote Hoffmann in his memoirs. He was not only tirelessly creative, he was also eager to pass on his knowledge. At the early age of 29, he accepted a teaching position at the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule – which later became the Institute for Applied Arts - among other reasons to train craftspeople for the Wiener Werkstätte. The large percentage of female students was very unusual for the time. Hoffmann purposely promoted access to higher education for talented women.

    For almost 40 years, he taught with great dedication at the architecture, metal works and enamel department, exuding a lasting influence over generations of architects, designers and creatives in Austria.

    Tip from the Editors

    To honour the 150th birthday of Josef Hoffmann, the MAK Wien staged the largest exhibition on the architect and his oeuvre ever. From December 15, 2021, until June 19, 2022, it will feature a unique overview of the work of the “well-known nobody” of Viennese Modernism.

    • MAK (Museum of Applied Arts), view from Stubenring / MAK - Museum of Applied Arts
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    • Vienna 1900 Exhibition Collection - MAK (Museum of Applied Arts) / MAK - Museum of Applied Arts
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    • Vienna 1900 Exhibition Collection - MAK (Museum of Applied Arts) / MAK - Museum of Applied Arts
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    • Josef Hoffmann, Porträt, 1903 ©
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    • MAK Hall of Columns (Museum for Applied Arts) / MAK - Museum for Applied Arts
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