JAN TOOROP (1858-1928) PANDORRA. 1919. 45 x 33 1/2 inches, 114x85 cm. Lankhout. Den Haag. Condition B: expertly recreated text at bottom; replaced margins; minor creases in image. Toorop was born in Java, studied in Holland and then spent three key years in Brussels where he was a member of the circle of Les Vingts and befriended James Ensor. His unique style is a symbolic and mystic blend of the Javanese puppet influence and the most frantic Art Nouveau arabesques. In the years following the First World War he left behind the sinewy, curvaceous lines of Art Nouveau and embraced the angular, symmetrical forms of the newer Art Deco style. This poster, advertising the opening of Arthur van Schendel's play, is constructed along a vertical axis, a style that was in accordance with the majority of Dutch posters of the era. Modern Dutch Poster 45, Dutch Poster 117, Timesless Images 145.
