Josef Hoffmann is regarded as one of the pioneers of modernism. The words with which his contemporary, the Viennese journalist and salon lady Berta Zuckerkandl, described this universal artist are still valid today: “he is the founder and pioneer of the great renaissance of craftsmanship, of its forms, its technique, its quality – one might say, ‘its pride’” (Österreich intim. Erinnerungen 1892-1942).
At the Art Nouveau auction on 17 June 2019, the Dorotheum will offer the opportunity to bid for some of his artworks. One of them is, of course, the top lot, a room thermometer produced by the Wiener Werkstätte in 1905, formerly owned by the Primavesi family (€ 50,000 – 100,000). A further highlight is a vase by Johann Lötz Witwe with dark wood support, manufactured for E. Bakalowits Söhne, that has come to the Dorotheum from an American private collection (€ 25,000 – 40,000).
Also outstanding are two pieces of jewellery produced by the Wiener Werkstätte, which display the variety of Josef Hoffmann’s stylistic spectrum. One of them is a ‘moth’ brooch commissioned by Fritz Wärndorfer, the founder of the Wiener Werkstätte, in 1904. This unique piece once belonged to Emilie Flöge, the successful owner of a fashion salon and Gustav Klimt’s muse (€ 30,000 – 50,000). The simple, stylised features of this brooch contrast sharply with the richly ornate yellow-gold pendant designed in 1917 (€ 20,000 – 40,000). A WW brooch designed before 1912, with its original leather box, is in a class of its own, with an estimate between 60,000 and 120,000 euros.
Hoffmann enthusiasts will also be able to choose from a vast array of bowls, services, carafes, lamps and furniture, including a “Sitzmaschine” chair.
The approximately 300 objects offered at auction include some coveted art nouveau works by Austrian and international artists, as well as 20th-century applied art. Ceramic vases by Lucie Rie, statuettes by Demetre Chiparus, a ceramic double head by Gudrun Baudisch and much more. As the Bauhaus celebrates its centenary, a complete Bauhaus chess set by Josef Hartwig (€ 4,000 - 7,000) is also on offer.
ART NOUVEAU AND 20TH-CENTURY APPLIED ARTS
Auction date Monday, 17 June 2019, 4pm
Viewing starts Wednesday, 12 June 2019
Venue Palais Dorotheum, Vienna 1, Dorotheergasse 17
Specialist Dr. Magda Pfabigan,Tel. +43-1-515 60-383, magda.pfabigan@dorotheum.at
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