A Glimpse Into the Showroom of the Wiener Werkstaette of America
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
a glimpse into the showroom of the wiener werkstaette of america, 1922-23 by janis staggs-flinchum One hundred years ago, the Viennese art critic and invites you to the opening of the Wiener Hermann Bahr anticipated the founding of the Werkstaette. 581 Fifth Avenue, New York City." Those Wiener Werkstatte: "We have plenty of artists at who were fortunate enough to attend one of the present, we have the craftsmen as well, all we now private openings would have found the showroom lack is the organization. What is missing is a great located between Forty-Seventh and Forty-Eighth organization to link art and craftsmanship.... Let there Streets, on the east side, situated on the second floor be a bridge! These two must meet at long last. A of a six-story building which also contained a tremendous studio, a colony of workshops where the cabinetmaker's shop, a men's clothing boutique, a artists will work with the craftsmen..."1 Bahr’s hat shop, and a photography studio. prescience is a fitting foreword to unveiling a largely Pre-opening press revealed a tempting list of what unknown chapter in the history of the Wiener would be on display: "interior art, original works in Werkstatte. While the firm's seminal role in the devel gold, silver, brass, ceramics, glass and ivory, silks, laces opment of modern design is legendary, the and wallpapers in new designs."2 The New York short-lived branch in New York City is largely forgot Globe's description proved apt: "The work of these ten. Before addressing this venture, the firm's Vienna artists has been collected with special foundation in Vienna merits a brief review. emphasis on their adaptability for stage settings and In late 1902 the Austrian architects Josef Hoffmann decoration."3 While this selection process may have and Kolomon Moser teamed up with businessman been logical, given Urban's area of expertise, it is the Fritz Warndorfer to establish a workshop in Vienna in first indication that the objects exhibited may not the arts and crafts tradition. The firm's production have been appropriate for the American domestic ranged from one-of-a-kind hand-crafted luxury items interior. to limited serial production. Early works designed by Visitors who toured the galleries would have found Hoffmann and Moser are notable for their stark and an environment that was both dramatic and luxurious architectonic forms with geometric ornament. in nature. Although the venture was commercial in its Warndorfer remained the principal backer of the firm aim. the galleries suggested otherwise, causing one until 1914, when he emigrated to the United States as critic to state, "there is no appearance of the store in most of the family’s fortune had been lost in the firm. the beautiful rooms in which the exhibition is shown. 4 After the devastation of World War I, it was the Urban's own attitude about the items on display support of another Austrian emigre, architect and reflects his level of personal investment and affinity for theatrical designer Joseph Urban, that raised the the objects. His daughter Gretl remarked that "it was hopes of the Wiener Werkstatte. A visit to Vienna in funny to see Father upset when one of his favourite the summer of 1921 prompted Urban to establish a pieces was being looked al by a possible showroom in New York City as a way to help the purchaser."b On at least one occasion. Gretl recalled artists and craftsmen struggling to survive in a city that her father purchased items he was fond of rather and economy devastated by war. After months of than witnessing their sale. A pair of exotic fantasy planning, with advance notices placed in the press birds numbered among those favoured artworks to alert the public, the showroom officially opened in which took pride of place in Urban's home in Yonkers, early June 1922. Two openings were held, on 8 June (figure 1) from 1 pm - 5 pm and on 9 June from 11 am - 5 pm. Urban's method of display was also atypical and Included with the invitation was a card which stated avant-garde. Urban preferred either to highlight the following: "Joseph Urban wishes to introduce in single objects on pedestals, small tables, or alcoves, America the Master Craftworks of the artists of Vienna or to hide objects in secret compartments of his intrl- The 201h Century Arts Fair • 26 ! ! : \ : 1 Figure 1: Dagobert Peche (1887-1923) “Fantasy' bird covered box Austria, c. 1920 Silver and coral Height: 8 in. (20.3 cm) The 20th Century Arts Fair • 27 which were located on its perimeter. Part of what contributed to the intimate atmosphere of this room was the skylight, comprised of interlocking circles, which provided hazy illumination. Gustav Klimt's Die Taenzerin (The Dancer), one of his last paintings, was the centre of attraction. Flanking the painting in a semi-circular row hung a series of prints derived from paintings by Klimt. The painting and prints all hung on solid, light-coloured panels. Strips of silk fabric, printed in the Krone (Crown) pattern designed by Dagobert Peche, were interspersed between these panels. Slender columns stood in front of the silken panels; delicate silver objects were placed on top, including a pair of dancers (made of silver with semi-precious stones) by Julius Zimple, and also a pair of fruit shaped vases by Peche.9 Urban must have felt an ENTRANCE TO THE WIENER WERKSTAETTE affinity with Peche, who was artistic director of the FURNITURE AND ROOMS DT JOSEPH URBAN Wiener Werkstatte at this time, for Peche's designs not only were prominently displayed in the showroom but also numbered in Urban's personal collection.’0 □WIENERD MODERN INTERIORS The centre of the reception room was reserved as a gathering point—two gondola chairs faced each JOSEPH URBAN other, flanked on both sides with matching tables. All ANNOUNCES A NEW COLLECTION of the furniture in this room was designed by Urban OF ARTCRAFT-WORK FROM VIENNA H and decorated in an identical fashion: the entire WERKST/EITE GIFTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS IN SILVER suite was painted in pale tea-colour enamel and 0FAMERICA,MC ENAMEL •• IVORY •• KERAMIC LEATHER adorned with embossed circles painted silver. As a 581 FIFTH AVE □NEWYORKD SILKS •• LACE •• BRASS •• GLASS final touch of luxury, pieces of mother-of-pearl were WALL PAPERS •• BOOKLET ON REQUEST embedded in the silver scroll pattern. Playing off the circular shape of the room, Urban continued the theme by selecting a round black carpet, with four white rings at the outer edge, to act as a subtle Figure 2: reflection to the skylight above. The intricate filigree Advertisement from The News Picture of Society which presents frieze just beneath the skylight suggested the Joseph Urban's original configuration of the reception room. Wiener geometric embellishments applied to the furniture. Werkstaette of America. 1922 Silver services by Hoffmann and bowls designed by Peche filled with floral bouquets rested atop the tables and completed the ensemble. Study of the room suggests that Urban carefully chose each cately designed cabinets. He placed only a very element of the room in order that all would work small percentage of objects on view at any given together in harmony. time; reportedly a large amount of stock was Located on one end of an axis which abutted the retained in storage on the premises/' Because so few reception room was a gallery which served as an items we re on display, giving "art value to each office space as well, (figure 3) Framed prints of the piece,"7 each object occupied such an important works of Klimt linked this room with the central gallery, role in the overall design of the space that initial yet the similarity between the two spaces seems to buyers were not permitted to remove their purchases have ended with that detail. While Urban empha until the fall, when Urban redesigned the galleries. This sized the intimate nature of the reception room by practice, uncommon for the salesroom, emphasized lowering the ceiling and employing warm colours to the exhibition quality of the space but may have impart a sense of gaiety, the adjacent showroom discouraged eager clients.6 had a ceiling which measured over twelve feet in One of the most frequently published interiors of height, with black and green as the dominant the showroom is the circular reception room, (figure colours. The walls wore divided into discrete units, 2) This space v/as evidently designed as an environ outlined in a strong, black frame; some panels on the ment for pleasantries as very few objects were lower half were covered with the wallpaper Dos presented there; the rotunda area functioned as the Wasser, designed by Peche in 1922. The furniture was focal point for the various special galleries and niches simple and severe in outline, rendering it a formidable The 20th Century Arts Fair • 28 component to the strict atmosphere established by Figure 3: View of one gailery. Wiener Werkstaette of America. the architectural framework. Critic Mary Fanton New York City. 1922 Roberts, writing for Vogue, perhaps unintentionally described Urban’s furniture somewhat disparagingly, but not without a degree of praise: "the black woodwork is one of Urban's fascinating achieve ments. In these New York rooms, only the cheapest that were kept in the wings until a dramatic presenta kind of pine is used, with a single coat of black stain tion could be made, (figures 3 & 5) applied so that the grain of the wood is richly One of the most popular and affordable areas in revealed—an attainment of exceptional beauty, the showroom was the lacework niche, (figure 6) almost without expense."" Roberts' observation Dramatic black and white photographs give some served as the conclusion to her article on the indication as to the beauty of this area and demon showroom and one wonders if readers of the column strate how Urban's theatrical experience presented might have inadvertently applied her remarks about this material to advantage.