They may not queue up to see Prutscher’s creations like they do for some of his contemporaries (cough…Klimt). But he was a man of many talents, whose work ran like a well-designed art nouveau thread through the history of Viennese Modernism. Learn more about his life, designs, and influence at the MAK’s Otto Prutscher exhibition.
- Architect, designer, teacher and all-round artistic talent
- Designed for the likes of Thonet and the famous Wiener Werkstätte
- Exhibition runs from Nov 20, 1919 – Oct 11, 2020
- See also:
- Current MAK visitor info
- Current design exhibitions in Vienna
Mainstay of Modernism
(Otto Prutscher, Coffee set no. 1321 for the Klinkosch company, ca. 1915
© Otto Prutscher Archive, Baden/Peter Kainz)
2018 was the hot year for exhibitions on Vienna Modernism, thanks to the centenary of the deaths of Klimt, Schiele, and Otto Wagner. But 2019 has been a good year too, and it ends with an exhibition on another bastion of the movement: Otto Prutscher (1880-1949).
I’ve always sat in awe at the diverse talents many artists and designers of the time possessed. At the start of the 20th century, it seems whole herds of creative geniuses were equally at home designing buildings and bath taps, forks and furniture.
Prutscher was one such example. He doesn’t have the fame of a Klimt or Schiele. But he played a role in all the great developments of the time.
Prutscher designed for the Wiener Werkstätte. And he advised or designed for numerous other great names, such as Thonet and Augarten.
Oh, and he was a busy architect, too. And (ironically) an exhibition designer. And an interior designer.
And a member of the Secession.
And a professor at the Imperial Royal School of Arts and Crafts.
In his spare time, he collaborated on research into particle physics (possibly not).
The MAK museum has its own Otto Prutscher collection that includes numerous drafts, photos, and architectural plans. Many of these appear (some for the very first time in public) in the exhibition, alongside examples of the finished product: silver, glassware, ceramics, furniture, etc.
Various loans complement this in-house collection, thanks to the generosity of Otto Prutscher’s family archive in Milan, the Schedlmayer family and others.
If I get a chance to visit, I’ll add in some more about the actual exhibits on display. But all MAK exhibitions I’ve ever been to have been thorough, well-designed, intriguing, and informative. So I expect the same of their Prutscher exhibition.
Dates, tickets & tips
The Prutscher exhibition runs from Wednesday, November 20th, 2019 to Sunday, October 11th, 2020.
You just need a standard entry ticket for the museum to see the exhibition (or use a sightseeing pass).
How to get to the exhibition
Check the main MAK article for travel and public transport tips. It’s near the centre of town and easy to reach.
Address: Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna