LUDWIG HOHLWEIN (1874-1949) CHAUSSURES AMERICAINES. Circa 1910. 48 7/8x37 3/8 inches. J. E. Wolfensberger, Zurich. Condition B+: restored bottom right corner; repaired tears and overpainting in margins. Early on in his career Hohlwein received a few commissions from Switzerland, including one for the prestigious men's store PKZ. Most likely these commissions came through the printer Wolfensberger, who printed all of Hohlwein's Swiss posters. In this image, for a shoe company, the treatment of the background, the palette and the drawing of the couple is very much in the style of Burkahard Mangold's early work for sporting events and fashion boutiques. We have not been able to find any printed reference to this wonderful, soft-colored and well balanced poster. Rare.
