Two Pots with Floral Designs
1851 to 1875
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
graphite with green and aqua watercolor on blue-lined paper
Dimensions
overall: 21.1 x 29.8 cm (8 5/16 x 11 3/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1971.41.17
Art Historical Context
Josef Hoffmann's *Two Pots with Floral Designs* (ca. 1851–1875) is a delicate preparatory drawing that offers a glimpse into the design process of one of the 20th century's most influential figures in decorative arts. Rendered in graphite with subtle green and aqua watercolor washes on blue-lined paper, this 21.1 x 29.8 cm sketch depicts a pair of elegant vases adorned with stylized floral motifs. The blue-lined support hints at its origin in a personal sketchbook, underscoring Hoffmann's hands-on approach to blending functionality with ornamentation. As a founding member of the Wiener Werkst...
About the Artist
Josef Hoffmann
Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) was an Austrian architect and designer who stands as one of the pivotal figures of the Vienna Secession and the broader European Arts and Crafts movement. Born in Pirnitz (now Brtnice, in the Czech Republic), Hoffmann studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under Otto Wagner, the theorist of modern architecture whose commitment to functional rationalism and honest ...