?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 2,000 - $ 3,000
THOMAS THEODOR HEINE (1867-1948) SIMPLICISSIMUS. 1896. 24 3/4x18 inches, 63x45 3/4 cm. C. Wolf & Sohn, Munich. Condition A- / B+: creases, abrasions and restoration in margins and image; replaced upper right corner. Thomas Heine was a genius caricaturist and designer. Along with author Ludwig Thomas and publisher Albert Langen, Heine helped found the influential German satiric magazine Simplicissimus. Based on French satiric magazines of the era (such as Gil Blas), Simplicissimus was revolutionary in Germany where artistic censorship was prevalent. Its strength was in its visual impact, relying far more on cartoons than other periodicals of the time, employing brilliant illustrators such as Olaf Gulbranson, Bruno Paul and Albert Weisgerber. Heine designed the cover image for each issue, as well as four advertising posters. For this image, Heine breaks through the prevailing sense of Bavarian Puritanism and succeeds in incorporating art, sin, sex and humor, a combination bound to excite new readership. Completely engrossed in his magazine, the devil is paying no attention to his lovely abductee, or to the demeaning fact that she is using his tail as a paintbrush. Judging by her smile, not only does she seem to enjoy toying with the devil, but also seems rather pleased to be in his clutches. Das Fruhe Plakat cites this as the 2nd version of the poster, the first printing has a slate blue background and there is more detail in the woman's dress. Wember 396, DFP-III 1209 (var), Reims 1109 (var), Art Nouveau p. 17 (var).
