EMIL ORLIK (1870-1932) DIE • WEBER / VON G. HAUPTMANN. 1897.
28x40 inches, 71x101 1/2 cm. A. Haase, Prague.
Condition B+: repaired tears at edges, some into image; restored losses and overpainting in margins; repaired pin holes in corners.
The Weavers was a play based on a historical uprising of Silesian weavers during the 1840s, who were forced out of work on account of the Industrial Revolution. Considered "the first socialist play," the story is a cornerstone of the Communist movement which swept Europe in the early 20th century, symbolizing workers losing their jobs through no fault of their own. Karl Marx, Heinrich Heine and other German men of letters evoked the tale in their works. Hauptmann's play, written in 1892, is considered his most famous work. Orlik's poster, which shows a fraction of the angry mob, so impressed Hauptmann, that he invited the artist to Berlin. The trip proved to be a stepping stone for Orlik's future involvement with the theatre. rare. DFP-III 2471, Kunst 358, Theaterplakate 69, Wember 639.