Josef Hoffmann, Ball Gown for Johanna Justine Wittgenstein, 1910. Wiener Werkstätte. Silk, cotton, metal
Around the turn from the 19th to the 20th century, the Wittgenstein family was among Vienna’s most important patrons of the arts. Supposedly, Josef Hoffmann created this reform-style ballroom dress for a specific occasion—thinking and working along the lines of the total artwork. From the somewhat coarse finish of the dress it may be concluded that it was intended for a one-time use only.
Design is fine. History is mine. 