Josef Hoffmann
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- For the Polish-American pianist, see Józef Hofmann.
Josef Hoffmann (December 15, 1870 – May 7, 1956) was an Austrian architect and designer of consumer goods. He studied with Otto Wagner. He played a major part in the shaping of the aesthetic perception and aesthetic understanding of the 20th century.
In today's Czech Republic (including Bohemia and Moravia), the results of the Industrial Revolution were more obvious than in the other parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Josef Hoffmann (born in 1870 in Pirnitz, Moravia, now Brtnice, Czech Republic) and Adolf Loos both came from that same area. Many creative minds derived from this region and enriched Vienna's economic life in the empire at the turn of the century.
From 1887, Hoffmann attended the technical college in Brünn, where he studied the methods of classical architecture. After his practical year in Würzburg as a student of architecture, Hoffmann studied from 1892 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna built by Theophil Freiherr von Hansen. His teacher, Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer was then at the peak of his popularity due to his "Ringstraßenbuildings".
After Hasenauer's death, Otto Wagner, the most famous architect at the end of the nineteenth century, took over his class. A scholarship from the "Prix de Rome" enabled Hoffmann to stay in Italy. After his return, Hoffmann joined the office of Otto Wagner. There he got acquainted with Josef Maria Olbrich.
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[edit] Vienna Secession
Together with other artists, Josef Hoffmann established the so-called "Siebener Club". After Hoffmann demonstratively left the Künstlerhaus with a number of colleagues including Gustav Klimt and Koloman Moser, an organisation of graphic artists, the Secession, was founded in 1897. The new organisation's home built by Josef Maria Olbrich offered young Hoffmann, as an organiser of the exhibitions, ideal opportunities to present himself to an art loving and progressive circle of potential clients. The society of those days seemed to show an interest in art to an extent which was unknown before. The conventional salons, academies and the like very quickly lost their influence in the same way — as modernity questions the authority of tradition.
Hoffmann's works from this time were clearly influenced by Otto Wagner's school, which determined the structure of an object through the emphasis on the surface. This was as important to Hoffmann as Belgian Art Nouveau influenced the Secessionists.
In 1899 Hoffmann was appointed as a professor at the Viennese School of Applied Arts(Kunstgewerbeschule) and commissioned for the interior-design at the World Fair in Paris in 1900. Starting from the beginning of the 20th century a basic change in his style can be noticed. With the turning away from the curves of the Secession and Art Nouveau a trend towards simpler forms appeared. At this time patterns from Britain had their special influence on Hoffmann. His admiration of the latest developments in architecture and applied arts in Britain is easy to be explained. On the one hand numerous illustrated magazines allowed an exchange of information. On the other hand there was a number of Secession exhibitions where British artists took part amongst them C.R. Ashbee and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Starting with the 14th exhibition of the Vienna Sezession (1902) there was a strict move to independence from other countries with the benchmark of The "Suppraportenrelief", a cubist engraving in plaster, designed by Josef Hoffmann for the foyer of the Secession building.
Hoffmann's explanation for his favour for circles and squares was that these forms never have been used before in applied and fine arts.
[edit] Hohe Warte
During this very important phase of development Hoffmann was appointed to build a colony of villas on the hills of the Hohe Warte in Vienna. Due to the Secession activities, Hoffmann was a close friend of the customers, and this gave him the chance to design houses that suited both his and the builders' ideal. This was to reach an unity of both, the outside and inside, or as in Hoffmann's own words, "to build a house who's exterior is one with the interior".
He moved away from the Secession and for the first time he reveals his own unmistakable and independent style. Hoffmann's turn away from the sweeping curves of Art Nouveau and his turn towards simpler forms has to be seen in the historic context of moving away from the floral Jugendstil, which started to spread in Europe around 1900 and went along with the renaissance of classical ideals. Following the Hohe Warte houses Hoffmann was appointed to do the interior decoration of a number of Viennese apartments. At that time he was Vienna's most fashionable architect. His works were so revolutionary that one could say, a new era had begun. In later years Hoffmann explained his interest in square shapes and the often use of black and white of those days by arguing that these clear elements never had been incorporated in the styles of previous epochs.
The sculpture "Supraportenrelief" was created by Hoffmann for the fourteenth exhibition of the Secession in 1902 . It is known for its final turning point towards a new feeling for design. Workshops started all over the world to find new and contemporary forms, which no longer wanted to follow the example of historical tradition.
[edit] The Wiener Werkstätte
With the fortune of the young and art loving industrialist Fritz Wärndorfer and with the enthusiasm and creative power of Kolo Moser and Josef Hoffmann the Wiener Werkstätte was founded in May 1903 — the productive community of artists and craftsmen who was meant to impress the life of Hoffmann deeply as well as that of the whole Viennese art scene.
The clear goal of the Wiener Werkstätte was to include all prospects of human life into one unified work of art. It was also decided to approve only objects of outstanding individuality and beauty and high attention was put on exclusive and exquisite craftsmanship. This followed the organisation's motto: better to work ten days at one piece than to manufacture ten pieces in one day.
The Wiener Werkstätte created pieces of arts, in a very distinctive style: the Wiener Werkstätte Style.
[edit] Sanatorium Purkersdorf
Between 1902 and 1904 Hoffmann's purist phase reached its peak and he concentrated solely on the reform of the element. Such an amount of purism often went against the wishes and intentions of his patrons, as they often longed for the richness of historical furniture which was meant to match with their lifestyle. Hoffmann's artistic fantasy would later be able to react on such a demand. Once he had moved away from his phase of riding himself of historic weights he was again ready to let Art deco developments flow into his work.
The first big order for Josef Hoffmann and the Wiener Werkstätte, the building of the Sanatorium Purkersdorf (1904) including its interior design, came about by the acquaintance of the building contractor with the art critic Berta Zuckerkandl. As a supporter of the Secession and admirer of Josef Hoffmann, she recommended him to the builder.
The Sanatorium was designed for a circle of well-off patients. Dedicated to the highest levels of comfort and luxury, in its construction Hoffmann made use of the most modern available techniques — reinforced concrete. His original plan showed that he was inclined to take even more radical advantage of new construction techniques than in practice were actually possible. Decoration on the building was used sparingly. The intended purpose of the Sanatorium pulled for a level of hygienic sobriety which helped Hoffmann in his design. After 1904 a number of projects were carried out where Hoffmann's search for simple forms are clearly perceivable but the choice of material and the working methods made the objects even more splendid and opulent.
[edit] Palais Stoclet
The internationally recognised peak of Hoffmann's career is the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. Its dimension, quality and architectural significance was an accomplishment that was not to be surpassed throughout his long career. Not only had materials and techniques of manufacturing become more complicated but also a change into a new direction of Hoffmann's creative work is distinguishable as of 1905, when a return to shapes of classicism occurred.
All these tendencies were channelled into the building and coupled with the financial strength of Baron Stoclet. This order resulted in Europe's probably most spectacular masterpiece of complete art of its epoch. When building the Palais Stoclet, the relationship between the patron and his architect was the happiest imaginable. A fact which is clearly expressed in the consequent atmosphere and quality of the building where no compromises were made, neither with the outside finish nor with the interior.
The same artists, who worked on Stoclet were also involved in the design of the Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna. Apart from Hoffmann many other artists like Czeschka Wimmer-Wisgrill. In 1912 they were the founders of the Austrian artist group "Werkbund".
[edit] Later life
Before Word War I the works of Josef Hoffmann shortly reveal an individual approach to classicism and ideally reflect the need of representation of a social class, whose days were already counted due to political circumstances. The Villa Skywa-Primavesi was Hoffmann's last great performance before the war, whose outbreak put an end to private enterprises for a number of years.
After 1919, Josef Hoffmann was very ill for many years. He even had to pass on the management of his studio to Oswald Haertl for some time. But Hoffmann applied himself to the creation of new forms till his death.
After World War II, Hoffmann assumed a number of official duties but received less commissions for design. His official engagements comprised the membership of the art-senate and the Austrian general commissioner for the Biennalein Venice.
In May 1956, Hoffmann died at the age of 85. His life's work includes all areas of fine arts. As the initiator of the Vienna Sezession he had a decisive influence on the drawings and the painting of his time. As a founder of the Wiener Werkstätte he revolutionised the arts and crafts.
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