Josef Hoffmann

Josef Hoffmann – Art studies in Vienna; co-founder of the Vienna Secession

Josef Hoffmann was born in Pirnitz in Moravia on 15 December 1870 into a wealthy house, his father was mayor and shareholder of a calico factory. His family’s status was reflected in his educational background, but Josef Hoffmann went against his father’s wishes for a career in law, and instead, with the approval of his understanding parents, attended the State Trade School in Brno, where he was able to pursue his interest in technical fields. There he acquired skills in mathematics and theory of style, and his excellent grades paved the way for a year’s placement at the military construction office in Würzburg. Hoffmann then attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna where he took lessons from Karl von Hasenauer and Otto Wagner. Through Wagner he met Maria Olbrich, a kindred spirit, and in 1897, they were among the founders of the Vienna Secession, the exhibitions of which offered Hoffmann the chance to make his artistic work known to a wider audience. 

Architecture as an all-encompassing art form

Josef Hoffmann drew early inspiration from the British Arts & Crafts movement, which sought to permeate and transform all areas of human life. He was united with his colleagues by the idealistic idea that art could heal the human soul of all scars and injuries. He was encouraged by his teacher Otto Wagner, with whom he agreed that the architect should not be limited to mere the art of building, but should always have the whole picture in mind – including each individual object. Hoffmann did not shy away from any challenge, but always paid attention to the smallest detail in every big task. He designed interiors and gardens down to the smallest elements in accordance with his beliefs, sometimes even suggesting to the lady of the house that her clothing be adapted to his architectural design. His early designs were based on simple cubic forms, which he had probably learnt during his stay in Italy – the Purkersdorf Sanatorium in Vienna, completed in 1904, seemed revolutionary for the time – and in this way, he preceded even Pablo Picasso, who did not use these elements until 1907. 

Decades of success as an architect and designer

In 1903, Josef Hoffmann founder the Vienna workshops with his Secession colleague Koloman Moser, to which he contributed many product designs. He taught architecture at the Vienna School of Decorative Arts from 1899 to 1936, and later also directed the workshops for enamel work and metal technology. The palais Stoclet, built under his direction between 1905 and 1911 and featuring the Stoclet frieze designed by Gustav Klimt, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. In later years, Hoffmann scaled back his style and largely restricted himself to functional buildings. Hoffmann welcomed Austria’s annexation to Nazi Germany because he hoped it would revitalise his career. He produced designs that made use of Nazi symbols, without actually implementing the aesthetics prescribed by the National Socialists – for example, a silver teapot with a swastika. Josef Hoffmann received prizes and awards for his art, including the Gold Füger Medal in 1894, the Great Austrian State Prize for Architecture in 1950, and an honourary doctorate from the Vienna University of Technology in 1951. After the Second World War, he became a member of the Cultural Senate and Austrian Commissioner General of the Venice Biennale. 

Josef Hoffmann died in Vienna on 7 May 1956.