The career of noted designer Peter Behrens included a variety of intersecting and often conflicting styles reflecting the multifaceted evolution of modern and industrial design in Germany and Austria. Behrens’ interest in geometry for its conceptual and formal properties is evident in his turn-of-the-century designs ranging from architecture to furniture, textile, glass, appliances, and silver.

The career of noted designer Peter Behrens included a variety of intersecting and often conflicting styles reflecting the multifaceted evolution of modern and industrial design in Germany and Austria. Behrens’ interest in geometry for its conceptual and formal properties is evident in his turn-of-the-century designs ranging from architecture to furniture, textile, glass, appliances, and silver.

The career of noted designer Peter Behrens included a variety of intersecting and often conflicting styles reflecting the multifaceted evolution of modern and industrial design in Germany and Austria. Behrens’ interest in geometry for its conceptual and formal properties is evident in his turn-of-the-century designs ranging from architecture to furniture, textile, glass, appliances, and silver.

Progressive architect Joseph Maria Olbrich was one of the founders of the Vienna Secession, along with Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser, and Josef Hoffmann. One of Olbrich’s most famous—and at the time most controversial—buildings was his Secession Hall of 1897, where participating modern artists displayed their work in a series of regular exhibitions.