XANTI SCHAWINSKY (1904-1979) PRINCEPS. 1934. 55 1/4x39 1/4 inches. Pizzi & Pizio, Milan. Condition B+: minor loss along vertical and horizontal folds; abrasions in image. Schawinsky studied art in Zurich, Cologne, Berlin and at the Bauhaus in Weimar. He settled in Milan where he worked for the prestigious Studio Boggieri. His style was varied and he could work well with photomontage (see Swann Modernist Poster Catalogue 1970, lot 57) or soft Art Deco images like he used for Café Illy and this image for Princeps. Mixing a realistic drawing of a hat, a stylized hand and an academic rendering of a Roman statue, he builds an image that borders on surrealism, with the soft colors adding to the mystery. This is the larger, rarer format. Plakat Kunst p. 130.
