VIENNA
SECESSI N EL PASO MUSEUM F ART
JANUARY 20 MAY 7, 2 16
F
or Vienna, Austria, the end of the nineteenth century was a time of major social and cultural shifts. Under the rule of Emperor Franz Joseph I, the city experienced a rapid growth which led to an unprecedented flowering of culture, arts and architecture.
As a result, this cosmopolitan city promptly attracted a multitude of artists from all genres. The formation of a new association of young artists, the Vienna Secession, marked a leap into the modern age of art. The secession did not only represent the very best in art that Austria had to offer, but it also helped to make Vienna an internationally recognized city by inviting foreign artists to exhibit their work there.
Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, 1907. End Papers: Koloman Moser, Mushrooms, 1900.
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Two principle institutions dominated the visual arts in the years prior to the secession: The Akademie de bildende Kunste (The Academy of Fine Arts), and the Künstlerhaus Genessenschaft (Viennese Creative Artist’s Association), a private exhibiting society founded in 1861. The Künstlerhaus had not being long in existence when conflicts among its members started to arise. The younger artists of the association started opposing the older and more established ones who had been trained according to the tradition of the conventional historicist style. In addition, the inconsistencies in the exhibition policies and the clash between tradition and the new ideas arising from other parts of Europe caused a separation of these younger members from the Künstlerhaus to form a new association on April 3, 1897 called the Vienna Secession. In addition to the movement publishing its own magazine, Ver Sacrum, some of its major artists were Gustav Klimt, Joseph Maria Olbrich, and Koloman Moser.
Moriz Mahr, Group Portrait of the Vienna Secession artists before the opening of the exhibition: Back row left to right: Anton Nowak, Gustav Klimt (sitting), Adolf Bohem, Wilhelm List, Maximilian Kurzweil (with cap), Leopold Stolbald, Rudolf Batcher; Front row, left to right: Koloman Mosser (sitting), Maximilian Lenz (lying) Ernst Stohr (with hat), Emil Orlik (sitting), Carl Moll (lying), 1902.
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ver sacrum Ver Sacrum, or “Sacred Spring”, was a magazine published from 1898 to 1903. It pioneered new techniques of graphic design such as the use of a modular grid system and custom designed typography. It functioned as a design laboratory for secessionist local writers and other foreign artists. The latter preferred vigorous linear art, and the covers of the magazine often feature a combination of hand-lettering and bold line drawing as can be seen in the cover page designed by artist Alfred Roller. In the interior
Alfred Roller, Cover for Ver Sacrum, first issue, 1898.
of the magazine, decorative ornaments, borders, headpieces and tailpieces were used generously, but overall the page layouts were defined and concise as can be appreciated in Alfred Bohm’s interior page design for a poem, and Koloman Moser’s calendar.
Adolf Bohm, Poem Design from a page of Ver Sacrum,1898.
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Koloman Mosser, Calendar for November, 1903.
joseph Maria Olbrich
Joseph Maria Olbrich, Exhibition Building of the Vienna Secession, 1898.
From the onset, one of the most important aims of the
the Secession. Olbrich’s original sketches for the building
Secessionists was to have their own exhibition building.
show a gradual reduction of decorative elements to basic
Thanks to the financial success of their first exhibition,
geometric forms, signifying a break from the grandiose Art
they were able to undertake the construction of a perma-
Nouveau style of the time. Like Klimt, Olbrich incorporated
nent exhibition building. The location for this building was
references to classical antiquity in the owl and the Medusa
just beneath the window of its rival, the Academy of Fine
heads used as decorative motifs. Signifying the attributes of
Arts, making it symbolic and controversial.
Athena, the goddess of wisdom and victory, Olbrich makes
The architect chosen for the project was Josef Olbrich
her a liberator and guardian of the arts. The Secession
(1867–1908), one of only three architects who had joined
building is considered iconic of the movement.
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gustav Klimnt Painter Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) was the guiding spirit of the Vienna Secession. His artwork often pursued a complete unravelling of the sensuality of the female body, and his style was very ornate, elaborate, and decorative, often including bright patterns as can be seen in his painting Hope II, which portrays a pregnant woman covered in patterned wraps with three other women at her feet. Klimt combined abstract patterns Gustav Klimnt, Hope II, 1907-1908.
with realistic figure painting, skillfully demonstrating the combination between abstract and realism. Even with this new style, he did not completely reject the tradition of classicism. For example, in his 1898 Poster for the First Secession Exhibition, Klimt used classic symbols from Greek mythology as an allegory of the struggle between the Secessionist artists and the creative oppression from the KĂźnstlerhaus.
Gustav Klimnt, Poster for the First Sesession Exhibition, 1898.
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Gustav Klimt, The Beethoven Frieze (central panel), 1901.
Klimt refers to the myth of Theseus slaying the Minotaur
As an example, the fourteenth exhibition of the Secession
in order to liberate the youth of Athens. Here Athena is
was dedicated to composer Beethoven, and Klimt’s most
presented by Klimt as liberator of the arts, overseeing
important surviving fresco, the Beethoven Frieze from 1901,
the predominance of historicism. Klimt’s rise to fame as
was one of the principle pieces of the exhibition. The main
a modern artist was surrounded by scandal surrounding
panel of the painting shows three figures, Lust, Gluttony, and
his pieces because of their erotic and sensual content,
Unchastity, collectively called “Hostile Forces”. Again, the
and because of their subjects of death, sex and faith.
piece generated a hail of criticisms because of its theme.
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Koloman Moser Koloman Moser (1868–1918) was a pioneer of modernity. He worked as a painter, illustrator and artisan. Moser contributed heavily to the decoration of the Secession building with some of his items. He created jewelry, glassworks, furniture, fabrics and wallpapers full of patterns, such as the Kleeblatt (Shamrock) carpet design, created for the Hotel Bristol in Bozen in 1898. Furthermore, he also created posters and illustrations with colored patterns using contrasting palettes inspired by French and Belgian
Art Nouveu as can be seen in his illustration The Reciprocal Dancers (1901). Later, his artistic style quickly started to change and transform, into a more sober version of the Jugendstil with long, geometrical shapes replacing the intricate and curved dancing arcs. This metamorphosis can be seen in Koloman Moser’s 1902 Poster for the Thirteenth Vienna Secession Exhibition that show patterns of squares and rectangles contrasting with circular forms used to depict three human figures.
Koloman Mosser, Poster for the Thirteenth Vienna Secession Exhibition, 1902.
Koloman Mosser, The Reciprocal Dancers, 1898.
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Koloman Mosser, Kleeblatt (Shamrock) carpet design, 1898.
legacy The Vienna Secession style ended approximately in 1909, a few years later after Gustav Klimt and other artists seceded from the association due to differences of
Euro Secession Coin featuring the Beethoven Frieze, 2004.
opinion over artistic concepts. Today the daring works of the Vienna Secession still serve as an inspiration for contemporary artists. For example, Klimt’s paintings
Gustav Klimt’s patterned paintings are quite familiar and
are often reinterpreted by designers, artists and
hardly seem shocking to eyes today, but they still cause
photographers. In 2004, his Beethoven Frieze was
fascination among contemporary audiences because of their
actually featured as the main motif of the Austrian 100
unique style. Another example of the influence of the Vienna
Euro Secession Coin. In 2007, photographer Steven
Secession in contemporary design is the packaging for the
Meisel looked to Klimt’s 1916 painting The Dancer for
Lipstick Queen Cosmetics, designed by the Bernard Design
the editorial “Vogue Patterns” in Vogue Italia’s December
Studio. Bernard Design states that they drew inspiration from
issue. It featured several models dressed in a set of
the movement to create the look for the brand, making use
swirling prints and patterns.
of bold line drawings and stylized figures.
Steven Meisel, Vogue Italia’s December issue, 2007.
Gustav Klimt, The Dancer, 1916.
Bernard Design, Lipstick Queen, 2013.
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