INTERNATIONALE KUNST - AUSSTELLUNG / (SECESSION). Circa 1896.
31 1/2x15 inches, 80x38 cm. Wolf und Sohn, Munich. Condition A-: minor creases in margins and along horizontal fold. With Albertina Museum ink stamp and pencil accession number at bottom left. Mounted on thin linen. Framed.
In 1893, Von Stück officially co-founded the Münich Secession movement, and used an image of the head of Athena on a poster advertising the group's first international exhibition. He had initially painted the image in 1891, and when he adapted it for use with the Secession movement, it was so well received that the image was used on subsequent posters to advertise the group's exhibitions, becoming their de facto emblem. It eventually appeared without its mosaic background, and we have found some variations from as late as 1921. Rademacher considers the image to be "the first modern artistic German poster" (Rademacher p. 58). This early version advertises the Munich Secession Exhibitions at the original Prinz-Regenten-Strasse address before they were moved to the Königsplatz around 1897-8. Another more commonly-seen version shows the new location, the Kunstausstellungsgebäude (opposite the Glyptotek), pictured on the bottom of the poster. This rare variant includes the tram directions and ticket prices on the Red Line to get to the exhibition. Wember 745, DFP-III 3213, Reims 1114, Rademacher p. 59, Zeitzieger p. 95 (all var).
