Sacred Spring: Modern Viennese Graphics, 1897-1918

“Sacred Spring: Modern Viennese Graphics, 1897-1918” features items from Neue Galerie New York’s holdings alongside loans from local private collections. One notable aspect of the presentation is the inclusion of a substantial group of Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops) postcards from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection alongside a selection of objects from the Cabaret Fledermaus, including posters, programs, and a selection of ceramic tiles from the bar area of the former nightclub.

In Vienna, one of the first organizations to embrace modern graphics was the Secession, the leading arts organization of the day. Es­tablished in April 1897 under Gustav Klimt’s leadership, the Secession promoted avant-garde art. Klimt and others devised everything from the entrance tickets, catalogues, post­cards, posters, and even a journal, Ver Sacrum (Sacred Spring), to create a uni­fied identity. Adhering to the philosophy known as the Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art), they sought artistic unity and deemed both “high” and “low” art to be of equal merit, intending to integrate architecture, painting, and design as well as the graphic arts and fashion.

Some members of the Secession later became involved with the Wiener Werk­stätte (1903–32), where they created graphics, textiles, and wallpaper, in addition to domestic goods and fashion. In 1907 the firm launched a postcard series that ultimately numbered nearly 1,000 unique designs. Also in 1907, the Wiener Werkstätte was commissioned to outfit Cabaret Fledermaus, where they made everything from the menus to the programs, and from the furniture to the tableware. The result was one of the most resplendent examples of a Gesamtkunstwerk, which was further animated by the establishment’s distinguished clientele and the illustrious performers who graced its stage.

In 1908, lavish festivities celebrated the Sixtieth Jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph, including a parade where citizens dressed in historical attire specific to the various regions of the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire. This festival coincided with the 1908 “Kunstschau” (Art Show) Vienna held at the Schwarzenberg Platz. It incorporated exhibition pavilions designed by Josef Hoffmann, as well as gardens and a theater. That exhibition marked the first major public showing of work by Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele in Vienna, leading artistic figures of their genera­tion, and heralded the emergence of Austrian Expressionism.

“Sacred Spring: Modern Viennese Graphics, 1897-1918” is organized by Neue Galerie New York. This exhibition is curated by Janis Staggs, Director of Curatorial, Neue Galerie New York.

LEARN MORE

Dive further into the world of graphic design with related reading suggestions, available in the Neue Galerie Book Store:

Wiener Werkstätte, 1903-1932: The Luxury of Beauty by Christian Witt-Dorring and Janis Staggs

Postcards of the Wiener Werkstätte: A Catalogue Raisonné by Elisabeth Schmuttermeier and Christian Witt-Dörring

Ver Sacrum: The Vienna Secession Art Magazine, 1898-1903 by Valerio Terraroli

Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902-1911 by Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller