Drei Mädchen, Lamm, und Paradiesvögel (Three Maidens, Lamb, and Birds of Paradise),

1906–08

Founded in 1903 by the architect Josef Hoffmann and the artist Koloman Moser, the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Workshop) was an influential cooperative of Austrian architects, designers, and artists who sought to bring a modern, handcrafted aesthetic to the manufacture of everyday objects. Among the many Werkstätte activities was the publication of postcards. Most of these postcards were designed by students from the School for Applied Arts, including Kalvach and his classmate Kokoschka. Both artists’ early graphic work displayed an interest in medieval art—Kalvach’s whimsical study for an unrealized postcard recalls medieval manuscript illuminations, while the bold outlines and flat colors of Kokoschka’s Easter postcard have the character of stained-glass designs.