49 1/4x17 inches, 125x43 1/4 cm. Condition B+: small loss in right border; small replaced losses, creases and repaired tears at edges, in image and along sharp horizontal folds; minor restoration in image; water staining along mat at bottom edge; top margin slightly trimmed, to text. Paper, tipped to mat. Matted.
Behrens was a designer, typographer, artist, architect and professor. As a member of the Munich Secession, one of the founders of the Darmstadt Künstlerkolonie in 1901, and a driving force behind the German Werkbund, he was a key figure in the birth of German graphic design, corporate identity and applied art. In 1899, he and Joseph Maria Olbrich were called upon by the Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig von Hesse to embark upon a project intended to revolutionize the German art world: They were charged with building and running an artistic colony in the city of Darmstadt. Within the colony, Behrens even designed his own home, which displays the same sinuous lines and strong vertical flourishes as this poster - one of the most prominent examples of German Jugendstil design. Behrens' success at Darmstadt helped pave the way for his future endeavors such as designing corporate identity for AEG and subsequent important architectural commissions. Rare. Wember 20, DFP III 90, Weill p. 99, The Met 2019.458, MoMA 978.2010.
