107 - Josef Hoffmann* (Brtnice 1870 - 1956 Vienna)

Josef Hoffmann* (Brtnice 1870 - 1956 Vienna) Sketch of a teapot pencil/paper 29,5 x 20 cm SCHÄTZPREIS / ESTIMATE °€ 600 - 1200 STARTPREIS / STARTING PRICE °€ 600 Josef Hoffmann, a student of Otto Wagner and a graduate of the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, was a key figure of Viennese Modernism as both an architect and a designer. Together with Josef Maria Olbrich, he belonged to the generation of Vienna Secession architects who broke away from historicism. Evolving from Viennese Art Nouveau (Jugendstil), Hoffmann developed a pared-down, geometric design language that became a defining characteristic of his architecture, furniture, and applied arts designs. In 1903, he co-founded the Wiener Werkstätte (WW) with Koloman Moser and the industrialist Fritz Waerndorfer. Modeled on the British Arts and Crafts movement, the workshop aimed to unite art and craftsmanship in the spirit of a modern *Gesamtkunstwerk* (total work of art). Hoffmann remained one of its principal designers—maintaining an active exchange with figures such as Gustav Klimt and Anton Hanak—until the company went bankrupt in 1932. His first major commission was the Purkersdorf Sanatorium, located west of Vienna; the project was initiated by Viktor Zuckerkandl and brokered by Berta Zuckerkandl. There, the architecture and furnishings form a cohesive ensemble, marking the transition to Hoffmann’s functional, geometric style. Collaborating with the Thonet company, he designed furniture that blended Michael Thonet’s tradition with the aesthetic of Viennese Modernism. The Palais Stoclet in Brussels represents a pinnacle of his work, exemplifying the seamless fusion of architecture, interior design, and decoration; the Kabell House in Brussels also testifies to the international influence of the Wiener Werkstätte. Female collaborators such as Vally Wieselthier, Gudrun Baudisch, Reni Schaschl, Hilda Jesser, and Susi Singer played a significant role in the stylistic shift from Art Nouveau to Art Deco. In 1948, Hoffmann founded the Österreichische Werkstätten as the successor to the Wiener Werkstätte and the Werkbund. His gravestone was designed by Fritz Wotruba. PLEASE NOTE: The purchase price consists of the highest bid plus the buyer's premium, sales tax and, if applicable, the fee of artists resale rights and platform fee. In the case of normal taxation (marked ° at the estimate), a premium of 24% is added to the highest bid. The mandatory sales tax is added to the sum of the highest bid, the buyer's premium and platform fee. This amounts to 13% for paintings, drawings, graphic works and sculptures and 20% for photographs and all other items. The buyer's premium amounts to 28% in case of differential taxation. The sales tax is included in the differential taxation.