170 - JOSEF HOFFMANN (Brtnice, Moravia, 1870 – Vienna, 1956).

JOSEF HOFFMANN (Brtnice, Moravia, 1870 – Vienna, 1956). “Study for a Fluted Vase.” Pencil on graph paper. Signed in pencil. Stamp of Josef Hoffmann’s studio in the lower right corner. Measurements: 32.5 x 21 cm; 47 x 35 cm (mat). Josef Hoffmann’s preparatory drawings reflect his approach to design, based on a synthesis of functionality, geometry, and formal refinement. This work depicts a study for a fluted vase, defined by vertical ribs that converge toward a rounded base. The light strokes and overlapping lines reveal the designer’s process of volumetric exploration, while the transverse marks suggest guidelines for the arrangement of the elements. The Leopold Museum in Vienna holds other drawings for vases executed on graph paper and bearing the stamp of his studio, which help contextualize this work within his graphic output. Josef Hoffmann was one of the leading figures of Viennese Modernism. A student of Otto Wagner, he helped found the Vienna Secession in 1897 and, together with Koloman Moser, the Wiener Werkstätte in 1903. Among his most notable projects are the Purkersdorf Sanatorium and the Stoclet Palace in Brussels, conceived as a total work of art. His body of work, which encompasses architecture, furniture, metalwork, and interior design, is represented in institutions such as the MAK in Vienna, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Leopold Museum.