Today we will talk a bit about the Wiener Werkstätte. This artists' cooperative was founded in 1903 by the architect Josef Hoffman, painter Koloman Moser, and textile industrialist Fritz Waerndorfer. This legendary enterprise is regarded as a pioneer of modern design, and its influence can be seen in later styles such as Bauhaus and Art Deco. Its products included fashions, textiles, wallpaper, postcards, books, glassware, cutlery, and wrought metal objects, which introduced a new figurative verve to the decorative arts of Vienna.
The Wiener Werkstätte began publishing postcards in 1907 and continued until the beginning of World War I. The postcards were among the least expensive or luxurious of the Wiener Werkstätte's products. The one we present today was designed by the young Moriz Jung, still a student in 1911. Jung's style was distinctive with its thick-lined and graphic style. The artist created several series of postcards with a variety of subjects, including dogs and café interiors. He also created caricatures of smokers, four-panel comics, and ... satires of early airplanes, including the lovely example we present today! As we can see, Jung's ribbing of early aviation hints at the somewhat dark Viennese sense of humor (a characteristic highlighted by other Wiener Werkstätte postcards as well).
P.S. Everyone talks about Klimt or Schiele, but does anyone ever mention Viennese designers? Learn more about the Wiener Werkstätte here.
P.P.S. Well, if you like such unexpected masterpieces, please check our 2023 DailyArt Calendars. :D