ALFRED RÖLLER (1864-1935) XIV AUSSTELLUNG / SECESSION / KLINGER BEETHOVEN. 1902.
37 1/4x15 1/2 inches, 94 1/2x39 1/2 cm. A. Berger, Vienna.
Condition B+ / B: four horizontal repaired tears across image; creases and abrasions along vertical fold and sharp horizontal folds; pencil notation in bottom margin. Mounted on Japan.
Alfred Röller was a founding member of the Vienna Secession and one of the group's most prolific poster artists. He contributed to Ver Sacrum, the renowned magazine published by the group, becoming editor after issue 7, and designing posters promoting the magazine and the group's exhibitions. "In the early years of the 20th century, the Secession posters had "lettering ornamented to the limit of legibility. This rigor, this elaboration of the decorative motif were pushed to an extreme by Josef Hoffmann . . . [and] in works by Ferdinand Andri, Mangold and Alfred Roller" (Weill p. 115). The fourteenth Secession exhibition was dedicated to Ludwig von Beethoven and was considered to be one of the group's most popular and successful exhibitions. Although Max Klinger is mentioned on the poster, it was Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze which stole the show. Roller's image of a muse bowing and presenting a glowing orb, infused with patterns and abstract motifs, also appeared as the frontispiece in the catalogue for the exhibition. This is the smaller format. rare. Denscher p. 42, Weill 194, Art Nouveau p. 208, Berman p. 157, German Expressionist Art 25.