Joseph Hoffmann's 'Savvy Impurity' Reconsidered
A reassessment of architect Joseph Hoffmann positions him between Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos. Often dismissed as a decorative figure compared to Vienna's more radical modernists, Hoffmann's work has been rediscovered since the 1970s, coinciding with critiques of the modern movement. The article highlights his solitary and seductive oeuvre, which was barely mentioned in recent histories of modern architecture.
Key facts
- Joseph Hoffmann was an architect active in Vienna.
- He was a student of Otto Wagner.
- Adolf Loos was an ideological opponent of Hoffmann's decorative approach.
- Hoffmann's work was largely omitted from modern architecture histories.
- Rediscovery of Hoffmann began in the 1970s.
- The 1970s also saw the start of criticism of the modern movement.
- The article describes Hoffmann's work as 'solitary and seductive'.
- The original article was published in artpress in January 1986.
Entities
Artists
- Joseph Hoffmann
- Otto Wagner
- Adolf Loos
Locations
- Vienna
Sources
- artpress —