Mosaic Niche from the Dianabad in Vienna, 1916

Otto Prutscher (1880–1949), the Viennese architect, designer and professor at the School of Applied Arts, was commissioned to design the interiors of the luxurious steam baths in the newly built Dianabad, constructed between 1913 and 1917. The project brought him into collaboration with two fellow professors: Anton von Kenner (1871–1951) executed the mosaic work from Prutscher’s designs, while Michael Powolny (1871–1954) created the ceramic sculptures. For the entrance hall of the men’s steam bath, Powolny produced full-length figures of the sea god Neptune; for the women’s steam bath, he created allegorical figures of the seasons, including the putto Winter. These freestanding ceramic sculptures stood in striking contrast to the colorful geometric mosaic niches with their shimmering golden surfaces in which they were displayed.