Carl Otto Czeschka

Vienna 1878 - 1960 Hamburg

Carl Otto Czeschka completed his studies of painting under the tutelage of Christian Griepenkerl at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. From 1902 to 1907, he taught at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts and, also being the teacher of Oskar Kokoschka, was considered a very progressive professor. In 1907, he followed a vocation to the Hamburg School of Arts and Crafts und taught there until 1947. Czeschka already participated in the Wiener Werkstätte in 1905, which he also stayed in contact with and sent designs to while being in Hamburg – designs which turn out to have had a critical influence on the characteristic style of the Wiener Werkstätte. As Hoffmann’s antipode, Czeschka’s language of forms was oriented towards flora and fauna, which he executed in a more graphic and less architectural way. His advertising art covers illustrations, postcards, calendars, packaging and fonts. A great number of art objects for the Wiener Werkstätte emerged, such as jewellery, graphic designs, wooden toys, wooden boxes, fabrics, furniture and various metal works. Carl Otto Czeschka also worked as a theatre set designer and interior architect. From 1912 to 1913, he was engaged by the Wiener Werkstätte to produce designs for the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. At that time, he also participated in producing the décor for the Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna.