Apr 21, 2005 - Sale 2039

Sale 2039 - Lot 18

Price Realized: $ 1,495
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
GERARD RUTTEN (1902 - ?) HET MIRAKELSPEL. 1923.
41x27 inches. J. Smulders.
Condition B: creases and staining in margins; creases in image; tape on verso. Paper.
Very little is known about Rutten, whose only legacy is three known posters. This piece is an archetypical Dutch poster for a theatrical performance, in black and white, designed within a strict geometric frame. The almost abstract representation of the woman shows the artist's familiarity with the classic Dutch Art Nouveau style, yet bespeaks a more courrant Art Deco sensibility and an understanding of Cubism.