Editor’s Note
This article highlights the often-overlooked contributions of women as cultural catalysts in the late 19th century, exemplified by figures like the influential salonnière Berta Zuckerkandl.
A significant aspect of this exhibition is its focus on the contributions of the women who supported the culture of the late 19th century.
Critic and journalist Berta Zuckerkandl (1864–1945) fostered exchanges among artists and intellectuals in her home salon, creating a cultural space for the introduction and critique of writers, works, and ideas. Furthermore, she was involved in planning a sanatorium and worked diligently to create opportunities, such as introducing her brother-in-law, the client, to the architect Josef Hoffmann.
Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1882–1958), whose portrait was painted by Gustav Klimt (1862–1918), a leading painter of the Vienna Secession, was also the sister of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951). She was a practitioner who deeply understood fin-de-siècle Viennese culture and incorporated furnishings from the Wiener Werkstätte into her residence. Similarly, Eugenia Primavesi (1874–1962), also known from a portrait by Klimt, lived in mansions and villas designed by Hoffmann, embodying the ideals of the movement.
Emilie Flöge (1874–1952) operated a fashion salon with interiors by the Wiener Werkstätte. She designed reform clothing that liberated women from corsets and proposed total coordination, combining her garments with jewelry produced by the Wiener Werkstätte.
Alma Mahler (1879–1964), wife of composer Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), lived in a mansion designed by Hoffmann and associated with the Vienna Secession, cultivating a sensibility that viewed art as rooted in daily life. After Gustav’s death, she had a romantic relationship with painter Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) and supported his creative work.
Vienna Style: Biedermeier and the Fin de Siècle
Period: [First Part] October 4 – November 11, 2025; [Second Part] November 13 – December 17, 2025
Venue: Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art
Address: 4F Panasonic Tokyo Shiodome Building, 1-5-1 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (Open until 20:00 on November 7, December 5, 12, 13) *Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Wednesdays (except December 17)
Admission: General 1,500 yen / Seniors (65+) 1,400 yen / University & High School Students 1,000 yen / Junior High School Students and under Free
