Schönbrunn on Sunday (Schönbrunn: am Sonntag)

Art Historical Context

This charming color lithograph, created in 1912 by Adalberta Kiessewetter for the Wiener Werkstätte, captures a leisurely Sunday scene at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace grounds. Measuring just 5½ by 3⅝ inches, the small print was likely designed as a postcard or collectible, reflecting the workshop’s commitment to bringing beautiful, accessible design into everyday life. The Wiener Werkstätte, founded in 1903, stood at the forefront of the Vienna Secession movement, promoting high-quality craftsmanship and modern aesthetics in contrast to mass-produced goods. Kiessewetter’s work exemplifies the group’s elegant graphic style, using flat areas of color and simplified forms to depict men, women, and children enjoying the palace gardens. In the early twentieth century, Schönbrunn served as a popular public park where Viennese families gathered on Sundays, blending imperial grandeur with democratic leisure. As a color lithograph, the piece allowed vibrant, reproducible imagery that made art widely available. Such prints highlight the Wiener Werkstätte’s influence on graphic design and its role in shaping modern visual culture. Today, this delicate work offers a glimpse into pre-war Vienna’s social rhythms and the workshop’s enduring legacy in decorative arts.

About the Artist

Adalberta Kiessewetter|Wiener Werkstätte (Austrian| ) · 1887 | – |

Austrian, Leitmeritz, Bohemia 1887–after 1948|