Viennese Art Nouveau Lace

Illustration: Franziska Hofmanninger. Lace design, c1899.

Although lace work is often thought to be traditionally bound up with distinctive regions of Europe, it has also had a relatively recent history as a design led craft. The craft of lace has in fact been involved in a number of eras where it has been closely associated with distinctive decorative art periods, one of the most creatively inspiring and original of these would have to be that of the Art Nouveau.

The Art Nouveau decorative era which was at its height during the last decade of the nineteenth and first decade of the twentieth century, was a particularly creative period with many designers and decorators incorporating, either wholesale or at least elements of its individual style into their work. There was little that was not incorporated into the style and Art Nouveau ranged from architecture, through to ceramics, glass, metal, wood, graphics, illustration, wallpaper and textiles.

Illustration: Franziska Hofmanninger. Lace design, c1899.

As far as textiles was concerned Art Nouveau could be seen in all of the mainstream textile manufacturing outlets as well as in hand craft. Therefore, there was Art Nouveau styled printed, woven, embroidered and lace textiles which could be seen in finished articles in both costume and interior fabrics. On the whole, much of the output was highly creative and although there was a certain element of formulaic work, this seems to have been a smaller percentage of the textile output than would be expected.

Europe being a continent made up of a complex patchwork of sometimes widely differing cultures, regions and ethnic groups, it is not surprising that one decorative style should be interpreted in a variety of ways and this is true of Art Nouveau. The style was interpreted in Russia for example, differently than it was in Spain, and likewise what appeared culturally suitable in Finland was interpreted differently in Italy. It is not therefore surprising that in Vienna Art Nouveau should be interpreted yet again as a relatively distinct and independent decorative style separate from not only other areas of Europe, but indeed other areas and regions within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

 Illustration: Franziska Hofmanninger. Lace design, c1899.

The five examples shown in this article are of Art Nouveau inspired lace design from Vienna. Four were produced in about 1899, while one is slightly later and was produced in about 1902; they are therefore perfect candidates for the style. One designer produced the design work for all five pieces, and that designer was Franziska Hofmanninger who was an important figure in the expansion of Austrian lace into the contemporary world of Art Nouveau.

It has to be remembered that Art Nouveau was a style that many in Europe were suspect of and in some cases openly hostile to. The contemporary can often discomfit individuals and groups; hostility is often shown because of confusion, intransigence or just simply an unwillingness to accept the challenge of change and the refreshment of ideas. Art Nouveau was seen very much from the start as a passing fad, an affectation of the French imagination. However, the decorative style did not whither or simply go away, and the number of interpretations across Europe shows perhaps the strength of its creative adaptability, one that was hidden from some by its more obvious affectations.

Illustration: Franziska Hofmanninger. Lace design, c1899.

Hofmanninger chose to interpret, through lace, a series of delicate patterns largely based on floral motifs. While there is a certain element of languorous naturalism in her pattern work, much of the more overtly stylised interpretations found in the French and Belgian versions seem to be largely missing. While to a certain extent this could be seen as within the practicalities of the craft itself, it is also perhaps part of the differing style interpretation across Europe of the Art Nouveau movement. While Vienna was by no means denied the more overt styling that is synonymous with France and Belgium, there was perhaps less reliance on the super imposed affectation and more on the use of nature, and particularly floral work. 

Some of Hofmanninger's slightly later lace design work - Lace Work of Franziska Hofmanninger - is a little more naturalistic than the pieces shown here and is perhaps a little more reminiscent of the decorative work of Gustav Klimt for example. This does not necessarily imply that Hofmanninger either copied or was inspired by Klimt, although she might well have been. It does perhaps suggest that there was a core intrinsic approach to Art Nouveau that seemed more natural to Austrians than to others. This would be seen as part, of not the fragmentary aspect of Art Nouveau, but its ability to adapt and reflect the cultural dimensions of regional Europe, something every good decorative design era needs to address in order to be considered successful.

Illustration: Franziska Hofamnninger. Lace design, c1902.

Art Nouveau, although seemingly short-term in its longevity, did in part, give life to the following European Art Deco movement. Art Nouveau itself has to be seen as a particularly successful and wide-ranging decorative style that breathed new creative life into many of the manufacturing and hand craft disciplines and launched a large proportion of creative careers, some of which stretched well into the twentieth century.

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The Role of Embroidered Alphabets

Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1869.

Lettering and text have been used for centuries in the craft of embroidery. Sometimes it has been used in a relatively minor way, while at other times it has been at the centre of an embroidered piece, even to the point of defining a composition. Written language in a textile format can often date a piece of work and its maker by the sentiment of the message, but also by the style and construction of the individual letters that make up the message.

All of the alphabets shown in this article come from a period ranging from 1858 to 1869 and although, by embroidery standards, this is a very small moment in time, it does help to show that even though limited to a decade in time, the embroidered alphabets cover a significantly large range of individual styles and motifs. All of the examples are derived from popular women's magazines of the period, many of which regularly contained embroidery designs either to be used as the individual embroiderer chose, or for specific items such as handkerchief corners, baby bonnets, general clothing and domestic items which could entail anything from a cigar case to a glove box.

 Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1858.

The nineteenth century was a particularly expansive era for the domestic embroiderer. The number of booklets and magazines either entirely or partially devoted to embroidery decoration multiplied as the century progressed. This in turn meant that everything that could be embroidered was, and the impression is given sometimes that if it didn't move it was embroidered. Part of the purpose of embroidered alphabets, though not the only one was to individually personalise items. Therefore jewellery boxes, spectacle cases, book marks, purses, handkerchiefs and the like could be embroidered with the name of the individual and then given as a gift. However, embroidered lettering also had the more practical purpose of identifying items that would otherwise have been seen as blank boxes. Therefore, lettering was used to differentiate a glove box from a cigar box for example. 

Another significant purpose for embroidered alphabets was in its use as framed quotes for the domestic home. Some of these took the form of relatively stern reminders of the moral parameters that should be followed, many having a religious origin; others were much more prosaic and took the form of the near universal Home Sweet Home.  However, there was also a tendency to use more profound language, often from a poetical origin and many of the nineteenth century's poets were immortalised in domestic parlours through the use of embroidery.  

 Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1861.

Although much of the usage of embroidered lettering in a domestic environment probably seems relatively redundant to us, it was an important part of the embroidery craft. The early twentieth century saw this trend continue, and if anything, expand. Art Nouveau lettering which encompassed anything from the distinctive alphabets used by the Glasgow Style, to the more elaborate flowing rhythms of France and Belgium, were used for permanent book and magazine covers, cushions, bags, chair backs, curtains, firescreens, tablecovers, cards, hangings, purses, tea and coffee cosys, blotter covers, bedspreads, pillows, portieres, tablemats, towels and so many others. 

The very breadth and staggering versatility of the embroidery craft during this period could give the distinct impression that a certain class of woman had an awful lot of free time, either voluntarily or, as we would suspect, enforced. That much of this domestic embroidery disappeared after the First World War can be put down, to a certain extent, to the changing domestic interior fashions set by the change in Europe and North America from the 1920s onwards. However, there is also the case that many women began to change their circumstances from this period onwards and were less inclined to be seen as idealised domestic goddesses, a role which could well be seen as a form of forced seclusion, a literal exclusion from the contemporary world. This more active role in the community and in society in general obviously left less time to embroider the letters G-L-O-V-E on a glove box and more time to learn the Charleston.

Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1861.

This is not to belittle the skill of embroidered alphabets. There are so many distinct variations, many of which were supplied by the publications of the period. However, individual lettering was also produced by women through their own creativity, either copying and interpreting lettering and fonts from other sources such as medieval manuscripts, or producing their own style and technique. It should never be presumed that women across the generations, despite the fact of often having little if any personal freedom, were also incapable of creative and individual expression. They may well have had imposed limitations placed on them, but the outward creative expression of the individual is perhaps stronger than the imposed state they find themselves in. However, it could also be seen in another light entirely, with embroidered domestic work from this period representing a level of frustration and hopelessly unfulfilled ambition that is heart-breaking. An embroidered handkerchief corner could easily be seen as an indictment of the wasted generations of women and their forced passive and non-participatory role in life. Both are relevant and both have merit. 

 Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1862.

Women have often had to make the best of a bad situation, often through practical necessity. By using embroidery to form some framework of independent identity, no matter how seemingly small and insignificant to our own contemporary world, individuals have tried to make their mark on the world and have their life remembered through craft.

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