The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) presents an exhibition of 15 beguiling Vienna Secession and Art Nouveau poster and prints thanks to the generosity of the late Baltimore philanthropist LeRoy E. Hoffberger. On view March 25 – July 29, 2018, Sacred Spring: Vienna Secession Posters from the Collection of LeRoy E. Hoffberger and Paula Gately Tillman Hoffberger brings together an array of styles by artists such as Gustav Klimt, Kolomon Moser, and Egon Schiele to advertise everything from food and furniture to exhibitions and entertainment. These late 19th- and early 20th-century artworks share a modern aesthetic that is echoed in the galleries by a selection of decorative objects from the same period.
Large-scale color lithograph posters abounded in late 19th- and early 20th-century Europe, and especially in urban centers, where this so-called “art of the street” literally became part of the city fabric. Jan Toorop’s design for Delft Salad Oil (1894) was so influential that the Art Nouveau movement in the Netherlands is often referred to as the Slaolie (Salad Oil) style. Many modern artists embraced the opportunity to design posters, creating visually arresting compositions with flattened forms, strong outlines, and areas of unmodulated color and/or pattern. Artists also drew upon an extraordinary array of typography/fonts that not only communicated relevant information but also served as decorative elements within their designs.
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