Josef Hoffmann

Design 9297

 A founder of the Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann is noted for his prescient shift away from the literal, representational patterns of the times, toward the abstracted, geometrical motifs of early modernism. Influenced by the Austrian Arts and Craft movement, the Wiener Werkstätte embraced simplicity, local materials and craft traditions in reaction against "useless" gingerbread ornamentation and industrial mass production.

Created by Josef Hoffmann in 1913, Design 9297 was never manufactured, and still retains the name assigned to it in the mill archive. To develop the palette, the Maharam Design Studio drew on color references from the early 20th Century, including other examples of Hoffmann's work.

Although the original trial sample from 1913 was created with a tapestry construction, the re-edition is rendered in a satin weave; this change in construction creates an elegant sheen and purity of color that further highlights the strikingly modern and graphic nature of the design.

Dedicated to accurate documentation, Textiles of the 20th Century® pays homage to the great multi-disciplinarians of the last century and brings their enduring work in textiles back to life.

Maharam