Two Pots with Floral Designs 

This is Josef Hoffmann's "Two Pots with Floral Designs", an undated drawing rendered in graphite and watercolor on graph paper. Hoffmann was a key figure in the Wiener Werkstätte, or Vienna Workshop, an early 20th-century design community that sought to reform daily life through aesthetic objects. Hoffmann's designs reflect the socio-cultural moment in Vienna marked by the rise of the bourgeoisie and their desire for refined, modern aesthetics. But who was this 'modern' for? The emphasis on artisanal production and high design often catered to an elite class, raising questions about accessibility and class distinctions within the movement itself. The floral motif, while seemingly innocuous, can be read as a nod to femininity, but it also suggests the natural world tamed and cultivated. The design asks us to consider how the decorative arts, and the Vienna Workshop, aimed to shape not just spaces, but also identities.