The Vienna Secession started as a reaction to the conservatism of the artistic institutions in the Austrian capital at the end of the 19th century.
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Secession History
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The Secession grew out of a dissatisfaction of artists with the system of expositions of contemporary artworks in the city during the 1890s. These shows were scheduled by the Association of Austrian Artists, which ran the Kunstlerhaus (Artists’ House) favoring the conservative artists who built up a majority of its members, generally discouraging efforts in the decorative and applied arts.
Secession Architecture
Joseph Maria Olbrich was an influent architect of the Austrian Art Nouveau and one of the founders of the Vienna Secession. Immediately Olbrich started to design their headquarters. This building was finished in 1898 and caused a sensation in Vienna. Bold and simple, it consisted of juxtaposed huge blocks and had a particular orientalizing aspect. However, its cupola of metal openwork with abundant floral ornaments was unmistakably Art Nouveau in quality.
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Josef Hoffmann was an Austrian architect and designer of consumer goods. In 1906, Hoffmann projected his first important building on the outskirts of Vienna, the Sanatorium Purkersdorf.
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One of the most transformative projects by Otto Wagner, another important figure to this movement, was the Austrian Postal Savings Bank that took ten years to plan. Built with reinforced concrete, metal, stone, and glass, it celebrates light, air, and the pureness of functionalism with the new usage of materials. His two private mansions, Villa Wagner I and Villa Wagner II were built for each one of his marriages.
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Secession Painters
Gustav Klimt was famous for the highly decorative style of his paintings. He was also the principal figure of the Viennese Art Nouveau movement of graphic arts. Klimt’s “Golden Phase” was very important. Starting with his Pallas Athena in 1898, Klimt created many masterpieces that made extensive use of ornamental gold leaf, reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics, precious to depict striking iconic figures. Among the most representative of works are: “Judith”, “Danae” and the masterpiece “The Kiss”.
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Images source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/336/6086/1232/tab-figures-data
Josef Maria Auchentaller was an Austrian artist associated with the Vienna Secession and the Art Nouveau style. He gave his contribution to the magazine Ver Sacrum, a Secessionist publication. His work featured primarily floral patterns and linear drawings influenced by Japanese woodcuts which were popular during that time.
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Info source: https://www.theviennasecession.com/vienna-secession/
