LUDWIG HOHLWEIN (1874-1949) ERMURI ZIGARREN. 1935. 34x23 3/4 inches, 86 1/2x60 1/2 cm. Chromo, Munich. Condition A-: repaired tear in left margin. Where Hohlwein's early posters were influenced by the Beggarstaff Brothers and were progressive, if not revolutionary, in design, his images during the years leading up to the Second World War are almost hyper-realistic in execution. During this period one of his recognizable design traits was to create a sense of depth in his posters by using a warm-colored background and a dark, colder color in the foreground. Throughout his career, Hohlwein designed many posters for a variety of different brands. In contrast to the work Lucian Bernhard did for Manoli cigarettes, in which over many years Bernhard built a global communications concept and a visual brand identity, Hohlwein simply delivered one-shot, snappy images that presented their products in a status-enhancing way. Such is this very self-satisfied cigar smoker, in a monumental pose.
