KEES VAN DER LAAN (1903-1983) LEERT VLIEGEN. 1931. 31 1/2x43 1/2 inches, 80x110 1/2 cm. Kuhn & Zoon, Rotterdam. Condition B+ / B: repaired tears, restoration and restored losses at edges; abrasions and restoration in image. Van der Laan spent three formative years in Paris, 1924-1927, when French Art Deco was flourishing. His Art Deco sensibilities were further reinforced when, back in Holland, he encountered Cassandre's work for Dutch clients. Van der Laan's posters reflect a versatility with the airbrush and an affinity for transportation in the Machine Age. While many of his posters feature aircraft, this image is even more powerful, more geometric and thanks to the horizontal format, more dynamic than most. One of two posters he designed for the National Flying School, the other is vertical and less striking. l'Histoire de l'Aviation p. 124-5.
