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Author Topic:   Dallas Museum of Art Acquires Wittgenstein Vitrine
Kevin Tucker

Posts: 6
Registered: Nov 2005

iconnumber posted 01-17-2014 03:33 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kevin Tucker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[26-2441]

After many years of yearning over this masterpiece, I was (with the help of an incredibly generous patron) finally able to acquire the Wittgenstein silver vitrine. Not a cabinet for silver, but OF silver - and gemstones, enamel, mother-of-pearl, pearl, etc. Completed in 1908 after two years of work, it was designed by Carl Otto Czeschka for the Wiener Werkstaette...here are some links:

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quote:

The Wittgenstein Silver Cabinet by the Vienna Workshops Recently Acquired by the Dallas Museum of Art

The Dallas Museum of Art today announced the acquisition of a masterpiece for its acclaimed decorative arts and design collection, a solid silver vitrine, or display cabinet, made by the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), a collaborative group of artists, architects and designers founded in 1903. Standing over five feet tall, this vitrine was originally owned by the Wittgenstein family of Vienna and is the largest and most lavish example known of the silverwork of the Wiener Werkstätte. A triumph of early 20th-century design, it is made of silver encrusted with enamel, pearls, opal and other gemstones. The piece was intended to be as much a work of art as any precious object that could be placed within it. The Museum acquired the cabinet earlier this month from a private collection, and it is currently on view in the European galleries on Level 2.

“We are pleased to bring such an exquisite work of international importance into the Dallas Museum of Art’s collection,” said Maxwell L. Anderson, the Museum’s Eugene McDermott Director. “The vitrine represents a significant moment in European design, and contributes to the understanding of the evolution of design aesthetics in the 20th century. We know our community will enjoy experiencing the masterwork both for its importance and beauty.”

Kevin W. Tucker, The Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the Dallas Museum of Art, remarked, “Few, if any, objects so effectively convey the exuberant spirit of progressive Viennese design in the first decade of the 20th century as does this unique masterpiece. The cabinet and its ornamentation resonate with the tensions between the Werkstätte’s progressive aesthetic, historicism and the opulent materials that they favored, eloquently questioning the evolving definition of modernity and the very future of design in Europe and beyond.”

Designed by Werkstätte member Carl Otto Czeschka (1878-1960) and presented as the centerpiece of a gallery dedicated to their work at the 1908 Vienna Kunstschau (Art Show), this vitrine reflects a move from the rectilinear forms previously favored by Werkstätte co-founder Josef Hoffmann to an ornamental aesthetic characteristic of the work of Czeschka. The use of opulent materials and particular stylized ornamentation—including a pair of regal caryatid figures supporting the onyx top and a variety of leaves, birds and squirrels that decorate the case—reflects both Czeschka’s prior work and the inspiration of modern Viennese paintings by artists such as Gustav Klimt, an associate of Czeschka whose paintings were prominently featured in the 1908 exhibition.

Czeschka was equally successful in the graphic arts and sculptural work, subsequently producing the book Die Nibelungen (1909) and interior designs for the Caberet Fledermaus and the Werkstätte’s most important architectural commission, a palatial house (c. 1905–11) in Brussels for banker Adolphe Stoclet.

This vitrine was purchased at the 1908 exhibition by Karl Wittgenstein (1847–1913), a Viennese iron and steel magnate and the leader of one of the most powerful families in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Wittgenstein’s family engaged in a series of artistic and architectural commissions in the following years, including paintings by Klimt and the remodeling and furnishing of a number of their homes by the Werkstätte. The vitrine, originally installed in the family’s palace in Vienna, remained in the Wittgenstein family’s possession until 1949, when it was sold at auction and entered another private collection.

In celebration of this unique acquisition, the Museum anticipates receiving a gift of multiple works on paper and design objects from Dr. Alessandra Comini, a leading scholar of turn-of-the-century Viennese culture and the University Distinguished Professor of Art History Emerita, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University. These Austrian Secessionist works include a self-portrait by Koloman Moser, currently featured in the touring exhibition, Koloman Moser: Designing Modern Vienna, 1897–1907, co-organized by the Neue Galerie New York and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Silver at the Dallas Museum of Art

The Dallas Museum of Art began its collection of silver in 1987 with the gift of the Hoblitzelle Collection of English and Irish silver, a collection of mostly 18th- and early 19th-century silver. In 1989, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc. established the foundation for the Museum’s now-unparalleled collection of American silver of the 19th century through the purchase of several important objects from the Sam Wagstaff Collection, including Gorham’s iconic “ice” bowl and a Tiffany & Co. Chrysanthemum pitcher from the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.

In the 1990s, the Museum continued developing these holdings through the acquisition of the Stephen Vaughan Collection of 19th-century flatware, the 1889 Belmont-Rothschild humidor by Tiffany and the Oberod Collection of Martelé by Gorham, later adding the unique Martelé dressing table made for the Paris Exposition of 1900 and several other exposition-related works including a unique “Viking” vase made by Tiffany & Co. in 1901. In 2002, the DMA acquired the most important private collection of American 20th-century manufactured silver: the Jewel Stern American Silver Collection. In addition, the museum has recently acquired several important works of late 19th- and 20th-century European silver, including a silver trophy cup by English designer Charles Robert Ashbee, a silver and opal box by Archibald Knox, and a silver and malachite centerpiece by Wiener Werkstätte designer Josef Hoffmann.


quote:

Silver, Pearls, and Squirrels: The DMA’s Newest Acquisition
Published January 15, 2014

The Dallas Museum of Art recently acquired the Wittgenstein silver cabinet, a stunning example of early 20th-century design from the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops, founded 1903), which was a major producer of lavishly designed silverwork. Intended to be a work of art as much as the objects housed within it, the cabinet (also called a “vitrine”) demonstrates a shift in design toward an elaborate ornamental aesthetic.
Silver Vitrine (for the 1908 Kunstschau), 1908, Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), Vienna, Austria, 1903-1932, maker; Carl Otto Czeschka, Austrian, 1878-1960, designer; Josef Berger, Austrian, 1874/75-?, goldsmith; Josef Hoszfeld, Austrian, 1869-1918, Adolf Erbrich, Austrian, 1874-?, Alfred Mayer, Austrian, 1873-?, silversmiths; Josef Weber, dates unknown, cabinetmaker; Wabak, Albrech, Plasinsky, Cerhan (unidentified craftsmen), silver, moonstone, opal, lapis, lazuli, mother-of-pearl, baroque pearls, onyx, marble, ivory, enamel, glass, and Macassar ebony veneers (replaced), image courtesy of Richard Nagy Ltd, London, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Silver vitrine (for the 1908 Kunstschau), 1908, Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), Vienna, Austria, 1903-32, maker; Carl Otto Czeschka, Austrian, 1878-1960, designer; Josef Berger, Austrian, 1874/75-?, goldsmith; Josef Hoszfeld, Austrian, 1869-1918, Adolf Erbrich, Austrian, 1874-?, Alfred Mayer, Austrian, 1873-?, silversmiths; Josef Weber, dates unknown, cabinetmaker; Wabak, Albrech, Plasinsky, Cerhan (unidentified craftsmen), silver, moonstone, opal, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, baroque pearls, onyx, marble, ivory, enamel, glass, and Macassar ebony veneers (replaced), image courtesy of Richard Nagy Ltd, London, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Currently on view in its own niche gallery on Level 2, and included in free general admission, the cabinet initially stuns visitors with its brilliant polished finish and begs for closer inspection, enticing viewers with brightly colored enamel, pearls, opals and other gemstones.

Two female figures, called “caryatids,” support the cabinet’s onyx top while emphasizing the verticality of the object and giving the flowing organic design an added sense of regal structure. Bright blue enamel and bold patterns draw the eye to these elegant figures.

If you look closely, you will see a wide variety of birds, some with elaborate plumage and others so small they seem to disappear among the leaves and pearls. Gemstones dot the eyes of the birds, giving them a spark of life despite their metallic forms.

Squirrels frolic around the cabinet, hiding among the leaves and gathering pearls like acorns. Like the birds, their gemstone eyes enliven them and their differing poses suggest their distinct personalities. Further, the animals represent multiple breeds, including the red squirrel with tufted ears and the grey squirrel with rounded ears.

The cabinet by the numbers:


    2 – caryatids
    3 – cubic feet of wood
    4 – interior glass shelves
    5 – feet tall
    10 – types of birds
    14 – squirrels

If you look really closely, you will find other animals like lizards and mice!

Alexa Hayes is the McDermott Graduate Curatorial Intern for American and Decorative Art at the DMA.


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Kimo

Posts: 1627
Registered: Mar 2003

iconnumber posted 01-17-2014 04:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kimo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It is breathtaking and it makes me happy to hear that this unique masterpiece will be curated by a notable museum and no longer hidden away.

I especially like the caryatids. Is there any chance of you providing more closeups of each of the main features so we can see more of the quality of the workmanship and the beauty of the jewels, stones, and pearl?

Kimo
Contributing Editor, SSF

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 01-17-2014 04:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Exquisite!

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Kevin Tucker

Posts: 6
Registered: Nov 2005

iconnumber posted 01-17-2014 06:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kevin Tucker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
We will be doing extensive photography of the vitrine in the coming days - as well as conservation analysis and cleaning, so a great deal of information will be forthcoming about our work with this amazing object.

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[This message has been edited by Kevin Tucker (edited 01-17-2014).]

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jersey

Posts: 1203
Registered: Feb 2005

iconnumber posted 01-17-2014 06:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jersey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Kevin!
Congratulations on your museums recent acquisition of this vitrine & a thank you as well to your generous patron.

I say, Absolut Atemberaubend!

Jersey

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 01-17-2014 08:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Zowie! Is this magnificent object currently on display? I expect to be in Dallas next month--can I go see it?

(Edited to add: I should have read more carefully--I see the answer is yes. Yay!)

[This message has been edited by Polly (edited 01-17-2014).]

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Cheryl and Richard

Posts: 154
Registered: May 99

iconnumber posted 01-19-2014 02:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Cheryl and Richard     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That is absolutely breathtaking!

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dragonflywink

Posts: 993
Registered: Dec 2002

iconnumber posted 01-19-2014 02:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dragonflywink     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Stunning!

~Cheryl

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AlanT

Posts: 1
Registered: Apr 2014

iconnumber posted 04-22-2014 08:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for AlanT     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wow! Absolutely Beautiful! I really couldn't feel the scale of it by just looking at the pictures, but 5 feet tall, holy smokes... That thing is AMAZING!

Edit: Oh, yeah, congrats on your acquisition. That's really a special piece.

[This message has been edited by AlanT (edited 04-22-2014).]

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 04-05-2015 09:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I finally got to see this in person. It's amazing.

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Polly

Posts: 1970
Registered: Nov 2004

iconnumber posted 04-05-2015 10:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Polly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
(I also very much enjoyed the accompanying exhibit about its restoration.)

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