HANS CHRISTIANSEN (1866-1945) DARMSTADT. 1901. 27 1/2x20 1/4 inches, 67x52 cm. Friedr. Schoembs. Condition B / B+: repaired tears, restored losses, creases and restoration in margins and image. Title printed on seperate sheet, which is affixed to image. Matted and framed. In 1899 Josef Maria Olbrich and Peter Behrens were called upon by Grand Duke Ernest Ludwig von Hesse to develop a project intended to revolutionize the German art world: They were charged with building and running an artistic colony in the city of Darmstadt. Hans Christiansen was one of the founding members of this Künstler Kolonie. "What distinguished Darmstadt from other artist's colonies was its sophisticated cultural output, in which design and the decorative arts held a significant place. The Darmstadt circle was considered the elite of German design at the time" (Jeremy Aynsby, Graphic Design in Germany, Thames & Hudson, London, 2000, p. 60). In 1901 the colony held its opening exhibition, "A Document of German Art: The Exhibition of Art Colony" for which Peter Behrens designed the unforgettable poster. It was a seminal exhibition highlighting many of the new creative directions in German design. Christiansen drew two preparatory sketches for posters for the exhibition (DFP-II 451-2). His first design was realized as a poster, with different text than he intended, bearing the title Darmstadter Speile. Here, with a separate, period, text banner affixed to the image, the poster has been re-converted to the artist's original interpretation. The striking image, in bright colors, shows five women turning to stare at something approaching. They are looking back over their shoulders perhaps over the tops of shrubs, or from behind parting clouds. The allegory of a new art form catching up with the present is palpable and effective. DFP-III 451, 453 (var).
