Josef Kott of Vienna (fl.1880s/1890s)

The Austrian painter-decorator Josef Kott (fl.1880s/1890s) ran a Vienna-based company, whose commissions included the interior painting of palaces and theatres across the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Examples of his work include grand interiors at Peleș Castle in Romania (images 5–7) and the magnificent Konzerthaus Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany (image 4).

The prevailing architectural style in Vienna in the late 19th century was Historicism, characterised by revival styles like Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Gothic, and Neo-Baroque. Facades and interiors were exceptionally grand and opulent, idealising and reinterpreting past styles to create a contemporary aesthetic that represented the power of the Habsburg Empire.

Kott's contractors included the Künstler-Compagnie workshop artists Gustav Klimt, Ernst Klimt, and Franz Matsch. The Classical and Renaissance design studies in this collection showcase Josef Kott's exceptional talent as a draughtsman, and evidence the historical reference points that were a direct influence in his decorative work.

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