Greyhound

Art Historical Context

Moriz Jung’s 1912 color lithograph *Greyhound* exemplifies the refined yet accessible design ethos of the Wiener Werkstätte, the influential Viennese workshop founded in 1903. Jung, a key contributor to the group’s prolific output of printed ephemera, created this small sheet—measuring just 5½ by 3⅝ inches—as part of a series of vividly colored prints that brought modern Viennese aesthetics to a broad audience. The Wiener Werkstätte championed the integration of fine art and everyday objects, producing everything from furniture to postcards with exceptional craftsmanship. Color lithography, the medium Jung employed here, allowed for bold, flat areas of hue and crisp outlines that suited the workshop’s preference for stylized, decorative forms. In an era when mechanical reproduction was transforming visual culture, such prints made contemporary design widely available while maintaining high artistic standards. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through museum accession, this modest yet striking image of a greyhound reflects the early twentieth-century fascination with elegant animal motifs and the Werkstätte’s commitment to quality in even the smallest formats.

About the Artist

Moriz Jung|Wiener Werkstätte · 1885–1915

Austrian (born Czechoslovakia) Moravia 1885–1915 Manilowa (Carpathians)|