The Art of Moriz Jung

Moriz Jung (1885-1915) was born in Nikolsburg (now Mikulov), in the Czech Republic. From 1901 to 1908 he attended the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna, and showed talent as an illustrator in woodcuts, linocuts, lithographs, and book illustrations. "Kunstgewerbeschule" can be translated to "Arts & Crafts School," and this was a type of vocational arts school that existed in German-speaking countries in the 19th century. Students generally started at these schools as teenagers, and were given a general education but also specific arts and craft skills such as weaving, metalwork, painting, illustration, sculpting, etc.


art by Moriz Jung titled Telephone Conversation

Moriz Jung, "Telephone Conversation," 1907. Color lithograph print measuring 3 9/16 x 5 1/2 inches.


If you notice the listed sizes of the art works above and below, you'll notice that they're all pretty small - and it's because they were all made in postcard format, as a result of Moriz Jung's participation in the "Wiener Werkstätte," which translates to "Vienna Workshop." This was an artist and artisan co-op, which brought together architects, artists, designers and artisans working in ceramics, fashion, silver, furniture and the graphic arts. The purpose of this co-op, which was indeed a business, was to create beautiful but also useful and functional objects, a sort of design studio. As far as Jung and his postcards, these were created as collector's items, which was a popular thing to collect at that time.

From a historical perspective, these first two postcards are interesting, in that Jung is making fun of airplanes, which - we all take for granted now - but air travel was something new at the time that he drew these. Note the dates of these first two - 1911 - and keep in mind that the Wright brothers invented and flew the first airplane in 1903. In the image below left, Jung suggests that people flying planes might crash into rainbows, which seems ridiculous now, but when flight was brand new, as it was at the time, who really knew? Likewise, below right, Jung suggests the novel idea of a man using an airplane for a special delivery of flowers to a woman on the upper levels of a skyscraper. Even this concept requires a historical perspective: the first skyscrapers were built in the 1880s, in Chicago and New York. It's not exactly clear to me when skyscrapers were introduced in Vienna, but part of the name of the flower-delivery postcard is revealing, with the suggestion that this woman is on the "968th floor of a skyscraper," making this a humorous and futuristic vision.

art by Moriz Jung with an aviation theme: Rainbow Obstacle

Moriz Jung, "Rainbow Obstacle," 1911. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


art by Moriz Jung with an aviation theme: Tete a Tete on the 968th Floor of a Skyscraper

Moriz Jung, "Tête á Tête on the 968th Floor of a Skyscraper," 1911. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


There doesn't seem to be a lot of biographical information on Moriz Jung, although I find it interesting that he seemed to have gone by a number of aliases, including Nikolaus Burger, Moric Jung, and Simon Mölzlagl, although "Moriz Jung" seems to be the most-used name. You may have noticed from the dates of his life: 1885 - 1915, that Jung died young, at the age of 30, and this is due to his death in battle in World War I in the Carpathian mountains in East Gallicia. An artistic career definitely cut short ... and while we know little about him, I wanted to bring attention to his engaging artistic style, so here are more of his postcard art works below.


art by Moriz Jung titled Viennese Cafe, The Man of Letters

Moriz Jung, "Viennese Café: The Man of Letters," 1911. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


art by Moriz Jung titled Consecration of the Colors

Moriz Jung, "Viennese Café: The Man of Letters," 1911. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


art by Moriz Jung showing men playing chess in a Viennese cafe

Moriz Jung, "Viennese Café: The Chess Players," 1911. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


art by Moriz Jung showing three musicians playing the violin

Moriz Jung, "Between 3 and 4 in the Morning!," 1911. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


art by Moriz Jung showing a car going upside down in a loop the loop

Moriz Jung, "Variety Act 11: Mac Bull from Philadelphia in His Frightful Loop-the-Loop Ride in His Car," 1907. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


art by Moriz Jung titled Naturally Gifted Singer

Moriz Jung, "Naturally Gifted Singer," 1911. Color lithograph print measuring 5 1/2 × 3 9/16 inches.


These art works by Moriz Jung are shared here courtesy of the Open Access program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.




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