LUDWIG HOHLWEIN (1874-1949) HERMANN SCHERRER. 1907.
43 1/4x31 1/4 inches, 110x79 1/2 cm. Schön & Maison, Munich.
Condition B: extensive repaired tears in margins and image; creases, abrasions, small restored losses and restoration in margins and image and along sharp vertical and horizontal folds; sharp creasing in left margin; tape stain in upper right margin. Mounted on Japan.
An absolute masterpiece of modern graphic design, Hohlwein referred to this poster as "The man with the saddle." The use of a subdued background serves to delineate the overall image from the checkered riding pants and scarlet waist coat that Hohlwein constructed in a cut-out fashion, inventing a revolutionary style of illustration in the process. This image was so striking that it became an emblem of the company, which used it on catalogue covers and even on their clothing labels. When the German design magazine Gebrauchsgraphik dedicated an entire issue to Hohlwein, the artist drew a modernized version of the image, which shows just how important it was to Hohlwein himself. This is a rare variation with black text. Hohlwein / Stuttgart 3 (var), Hohlwein / Munich p. 128 no. 101 (var), DFP-III 1328 (var), Modern Poster 56, Wember 406 (var), Muller-Brockmann 59, Art Nouveau p. 237, Word and Image p. 43, Encyclopedie de l'Affiche p. 71.