Wiener Werkstatte jewelry

Magazine Antiques, April, 2008 by Megan Holloway Fort

More than forty fabulous pieces of jewelry created between 1903 and 1920 by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, Dagobert Peche, and other members of the Wiener Werkstatte are the focus of an exhibition now open at the Neue Galerie in New York City. Hoffmann and Moser, the workshop's artistic co-founders, were inspired by the writings of William Morris and subscribed to the arts and crafts ideal of exceptionally well-made objects designed by artists and made by specialized craftsmen. They believed that jewelry, examples of which were among the first objects they created, should be valued for its artistic merit and not solely for its monetary value. Nevertheless, their works were extravagant and intended for a select market. As Hoffmann once said, "Since it is not possible to work for the whole market, we will concentrate on those who can afford it."

The first pieces of jewelry created in the workshops, such as the one pictured above, relied heavily on the grid and other simple geometric forms. By the outbreak of World War I, a generation of new designers began to have an impact, creating more idiosyncratic, free-spirited designs that stood in sharp contrast to the work of Hoffmann and Moser. Peche began designing for the firm in 1911 and became director of the artists' workshops in 1915. His animated, asymmetrical, and organic style, as is seen in the pendant on page 20, fostered a greater sense of freedom of design among his colleagues. In 1917 he established a branch of the Wiener Werkstatte in Zurich, where his designs continued to celebrate natural forms.

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The exhibition also features design drawings and photographs of the workshop's prominent clients. These included the fashion designer Emilie Floge, who was the companion of Gustav Klimt for some twenty years, from about 1897 until his death in 1918, and who dressed many of Vienna's most fashionable women.

Janis Staggs organized the exhibition and wrote the accompanying catalogue. It may be obtained by telephoning the museum at 212-994-9492 or through its Web site (www.neuegalerie.org).

Wiener Werkstatte Jewelry. Neue Galerie, New York City, to June 30.