HANS RUDI ERDT (1883-1918) MÜLLER EXTRA. 1908. 45 1/2x34 1/2 inches, 115 1/2x87 1/2 cm. Hollerbaum & Schmidt, Berlin. Condition B: overpainting in upper left corner; repaired tears, replaced losses, creases and overpainting at edges and along vertical and horizontal folds; repaired pin holes in top corners. Hans Rudi Erdt was one of the major artists behind the boom of German poster design before the First World War. Like many of the other great German artists such as Julius Klinger and Lucian Bernhard, Erdt worked for Hollerbaum & Schmidt, producing posters for a wide variety of clients. His designs reflect his talent as a draughtsman, along with a great sense of stylization and a flair for layout. This poster for a brand of German champagne is one of his classics, portraying an 18th century aristocrat enjoying the beverage, (with his single-product wine cellar on display) and by proxy lending his pedigree to the product. This is the second largest of four formats. DFP-III 764, Wember 258.
