design forum - DesignAddict


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	title of this thread your message I understand your surprise in finding so many references under google for the combination of Joseph Hoffmann and the Bauhaus. As I said, the two come up, in part because you can not describe the historical context of the founding and existence of the Bauhaus without referring to almost all contemporary movements and institutions. The Wiener Werkstätte was certainly one of them. Just to satisfy my own curiosity I looked at a number of them and the majority of those I opened were distributors of furniture that carry both Joseph Hoffmann reproductions as Bauhaus reproductions. As you might have understood from previous contributions, I am not a great fan of searching the net but just for fun I read and noticed that the Wikipedia page on the Wiener Werkstätte does not say a word on either Walter Gropius or the Bauhaus and in all the listings of artists and craftsmen that designed for the different workshops I see no reference to anybody related to the Bauhaus. I am not ignorant enough to overlook the fact that Gropius started a love affair with the composer Gustav Mahler?s wife Alma, who became Oskar Kokoschka?s love after Mahler?s death before moving back to Walter Gropius and later on to Franz Werfel. In her early years she had a very close relationship with Gustav Klimt, a relationship that is usually described as ?kisses? in order to keep the great painter out of hotter water. Although Gropius met Alma outside of Vienna, it is unlikely that such a socialite like Alma would not have given Gropius the opportunity to meet with her Viennese circle. But it still does not mean that there was anything other than curiosity and superficial influence. There is no record at all, at least not from what I have seen that Walter Gropius ever did anything at or for the Wiener Werkstätte. He was not very handy, so I guess it would be design work that he did. I am very surprised that Antonella would have some evidence of that and I count on her generosity to share them with us. Gropius certainly was very opposed to much of their ideology. He knew very well that the Werkstätte ideals of accessibility of their products by the people were in contradiction with their motto: Better one product in 10 days than ten products in one day. He must have agreed to a large extend but he could also see the simple fact that the Wiener Werkstätte, in spite of their ideology, could only survive because of the high middle class Jewish Viennese intellectual elite and the fact that they had continuous financial support from Fritz Wärndorfer. It is ironic that the most well known piece of those socially motivated architects and artists was a Palace for the Stocklet family. associated web images (optional) associated web link (optional) your email your password create a forums account \| you forgot your password?