HOHLWEIN, Ludwig (1874 – 1949)

“Direct China Cotton Importers – Woalancet,” 1909

Lithograph, 23 1/4 x 32 1/2 inches

Biography

Hohlwein was trained in Munich as an architect but turned full time to posters by 1906. According to Alain Weill in his landmark book The Poster, he was the most prolific and brilliant German poster artist of all time.

Strongly influenced by the Beggarstaffs, Hohlwein was a pioneer in breaking with the Art Nouveau style and ushering in a more modern, graphic style. Endlessly creative, his solutions were varied and exquisitely brilliant, always with refined composition and color. His love of surface and play of light is evident in the unique texturing and flecks of color he achieves, especially in early posters like the Wonalancet. No one to this day knows exactly how he achieved the texturing within each color.

MoMA’s 1988 show titled, The Modern Poster, featured the best modernist posters, the best show of this genre to my mind. There were more Hohlweins in this show than any other artist.

LOUCH, Paul

Vintage Travel Poster. Lithograph. “Barbados” & “Trinidad”. “Trans-Canada Air Lines”. 1958. Depicts an islander wearing a straw sun hat. Cross-promotional.

Mounted on linen.

Measurements:

Poster including linen foundation support: (83½ × 59½ cm)(33 × 23½ inches)

Poster only: (76 × 51½ cm)(30 × 20¼ inches)

LOUCH, Paul

Vintage Travel Poster. Lithograph. “Jamaica”. “Trans-Canada Air Lines”. 1958. Depicts two island musicians wearing straw sun hats, one playing banjo and the other playing conga. Cross-promotional.

Mounted on linen.

Measurements:

Poster including linen foundation support: (84 × 60 cm)(33½ × 23½ inches)

Poster only: (76 × 51 cm)(30 × 20¼ inches)