Design for a certificate of citizenship, awarded by the city of Vienna

Erwin Puchinger

ca. 1895–1900 · Gouache over graphite underdrawing, text separate on adhered sheet · Drawings and Prints

While Viennese citizenship was no longer highly exclusive and had lost much of the legal and financial implications it once had, the tradition of presenting new citizens with an official certificate was upheld well into the twentieth century. The custom provided regular commissions for the many graphic artists active in Vienna. Puchinger designed a number of different certificates in which he shows his great versatility in technique, and various sources of inspiration. This design has a strong heraldic theme, and is rooted in the historicism of the late nineteenth century.

Artist

Erwin Puchinger

Date

ca. 1895–1900

Medium

Gouache over graphite underdrawing, text separate on adhered sheet

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2016