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Wolfgang Bauer, an expert on early 20th century Viennese art and design and owner of Bel Etage, the city's leading gallery dedicated to objets d'art of the Jugenstil and Seccession periods, pays homage to Austria's golden age.
For more than 30 years Wolfgang Bauer, owner of Vienna's Bel Etage Gallery and a leading authority of objets d'art from Austria's creative heyday, has shared his passion for art and design from Vienna's celebrated Jugenstil and Seccession style at the turn of the 20th century. He reveals the magic behind the masterworks.
Over more than 30 years Austrian art and antiques dealer, Wolfgang Bauer has built a wealth of knowledge and a successful business dedicated to the celebrated creative style, stemming from Vienna's rich cultural history. Overlooking the Vienna State Opera, Bel Etage has become the city's premiere gallery for Viennese design, specializing in art and design, from the late 19th century Jugendstil - Austria's decorative arts scene - and the Seccessionist movement, to the Weiner Werkstatte in the early 1900s. Bel Etage will be participating, for the first time, at this year's world leading art and antiques fair, TEFAF Maastricht, which will take place from the 13-22nd March. (Hyperlink: www.tefaf.com)
Wolfgang Bauer's definition of luxury:
Something that you don't need for living.
If luxury were a person
luxury is not so much a person more a state of mind.
An object
A very important piece that doesn't seem like a luxury.
A place
A place in the mountains.
A moment
Now.
You opened Bel Etage opened 30 years ago, what prompted you to open a gallery?
When I started collecting Jugendstil and secessionist objects I was able to find them for reasonable prices. But as I was a student of technical engineering at the Technical University in Vienna I didn't have much money for my hobby, so I opened a small antique shop, 15 minutes away from the city centre. Slowly the business grew and before I finished my engineering studies, I became an art dealer.
How did your interest in 19th and 20th century Viennese design begin and why did you focus on this market specifically?
There were a lot of exhibitions showing the spirit of that time. The first was in Vienna around 1970. It was an exhibition about the Wiener Werkstätte and that was the first time that I came into contact with the secessionist movement. I also had the luck to buy a lot of antique books, architectural magazines and art magazines relating to the 1900-1920 at flea markets. I studied them with a lot of passion, which gave me a deeper knowledge of that era.
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What is it about this period that appeals to you most?
There are many things that interested me in what was maybe Austria's most important era. You had musicians like like Mahler, Strauss and Schönberg, doctors of medicine and scientists like Freud, painters like Gustav Klimt Oscar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Richard Gerstl and Koloman Moser, as well as writers in Vienna. The scene was very vibrant. Otto Wagner, the important architect of the Stadtbahn with its beautiful station and the Postsparkasse bank, who founded the famous Wagner school for architects, was the father of the Jugendstil movement. Many of his pupils became important architects and designers, such as Josef Hoffmann, Leopold Bauer and Marcel Kammerer.
Where do you go to seek out new acquisitions?
Many people know that I'm very interested in this period, so it happens that private sellers offer me their family treasures. Antique dealers who know me also offer me pieces for my collection. I sometimes try to buy at auctions too.
How has the crisis affected your market?
There are only maybe 150-200 people in the world who collect these pieces, but they don't come from the stock market so they are not so affected. Our clients are very loyal and have known me for many years. Most of them, such as Mr Lauder, have been collecting for around 20-25 years and more.
What astonished me at the auctions at the end of last year was that all the good Austrian secessionist objects achieved very high prices, showing that the market is strong, even in turbulent times. It was almost impossible to buy for my collection.
Who are your clients?
We sell to many private Austrian and international collectors as well as to museums. Most collectors have a strong personal and mental connection to Vienna and to this period. Some live in Vienna, while many come from abroad. Most of them are very well educated and very knowledgeable of this period. The people who buy Jugendstil are eager to learn more about this era. They never buy pieces to show off. It's not just about the art, the architecture or the furniture... it's much more.
Who are your favorite artists and designers from this period?
That's difficult, particularly after 30 years. Koloman Moser made a lot of extraordinary jewelry - some of the most important pieces were recently shown at the Wien museum. There's also an architect called Leopold Bauer, who created some impressive interiors, designs for lamps and glasses, as well as architectural works. Although he's not as famous as Hoffmann I like him very much. However, Hoffmann is the most important one and I am always pleased to see something important by the master.
Who are the most bankable artists?
Josef Hoffmann, Dagobert Peche and Koloman Moser.
What are the most important aspects to look for when purchasing art and antiques from this period?
Buy only high quality and if possible, the best of it.
What do you find most interesting about these pieces?
It is the important relationship between the designer and the craftsman, which eventually gave the pieces their aura. Very often Hoffmann design drawings are not as pretty as the finished objects. This shows that there was a very symbiotic relationship between Hoffmann and his goldsmiths. Every morning Hoffmann visited the workshops and selected the objects. Many of them failed his demands and had to be remade.
How much of a problem have fakes become within your market?
Concerning the secessionist movement there are not many fakes on the market, but it happens. For an expert most of them are easy to recognize, even from a photo. For the forgers it is getting harder to sell these pieces as most clients and the few dealers who work in this era have a very good eye, exceptional taste and a strong feeling for the right proportions. If you are in doubt ask an expert or contact me. It is always cheaper to get the opinion of an expert in advance.
You mention that you only deal in the finest pieces, but you sell pieces described as "a la Loos" – in the style of Adolf Loos. How do you discern which pieces are worthy, and which are not?
Friedrich Otto Schmidt and Adolf Loos had a close relationship and at that time there were no real copyright restrictions on those pieces. Friedrich Otto Schmidt was an important cabinet maker for the very wealthy. When clients commissioned Loos to design the interiors of a villa, the furniture was produced by F. O. Schmidt. Schmidt also sold furniture based on these designs to other clients. Variations of these cabinets, tables ... are called 'à la Loos' as there is no documentary evidence that Loos was the designer.
Even high quality pieces by F. O. Schmidt are still excellent.
Do any of the original cabinet makers still exist and have their skills and techniques been upheld?
The only one which still exists is the cabinet maker Friedrich Otto Schmidt. The company still belongs to the family and continues to work in the same high class, traditional manner.
Have you ever considered opening a public archive?
Yes, I've been thinking about working with Lorenz Otto Schmidt of the Otto Schmidt family to organize an archive. To research all of this would be my luxury, but of course, the problem is time.
Which are the most rare or prized pieces?
Archaic architectural designed silver pieces by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser. The fantastic and bizarre objects by Dagobert Peche between 1917 and 1925.
What would be your ultimate acquisition?
I have bought a lot of highly important furniture by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser. The ultimate acquisition for me would be table and chairs from the ensemble "The Rich Catch", which was designed by Koloman Moser in 1900. It would be a wonderful addition to my collection.