Universal Designer of Viennese Modernism
MAK, Vienna, 20 November 2019 – 17 May 2020

Otto Prutscher (1880–1949) was an architect and designer, an exhibition designer, teacher, and member of all the important arts and crafts movements—from the Secession to the Werkbund.
Prutscher was one of the first students of the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. Being taught by Josef Hoffmann and the painter Franz Matsch clearly left its mark on Prutscher’s designs: this is evident in both their high-quality draftsmanship and their constant alignment with prevailing architectural trends.
Prutscher’s known oeuvre comprises over 50 buildings, almost 50 exhibitions, some 170 interiors, 300 interior designs, and more than 200 pieces and sets of furniture. His designs were executed by over 200 companies, above all the Wiener Werkstätte and firms like Backhausen or Augarten.
70 years after Prutscher’s death, this exhibition explores his complex creative work and his role in the development of Viennese Modernism. The show was inspired by the collector Hermi Schedlmayer’s generous gift of 139 designs, objects, and furniture by Prutscher.