Curtain Panel and Three Fragments

The Wiener Werkstätte, established in 1903 by the graphic designer and painter Koloman Moser, the architect Josef Hoffmann and the patron Fritz Waerndorfer, was a productive association in Vienna, Austria, which brought together architects, artists, designers and artisans working in ceramics, fashion, silver, furniture and the graphic arts. The Workshop was "dedicated to the artistic production of utilitarian items in a wide range of media, including metalwork, leatherwork, bookbinding, woodworking, ceramics, postcards and graphic art, and jewelry." This meant the workshop created many items used in domestic spaces, which, as the scholar Rebecca Houze has argued, were previously seen as the domain of women. It is regarded as a pioneer of modern design, and its influence can be seen in later styles such as Bauhaus and Art Deco.