Adolfo Hohenstein (1852-1928) was a European poster artist known as the father of "Stile Liberty," or the Italian Art Nouveau.
He was born in Saint Petersburg, studied in Vienna, and traveled to India, where he decorated the homes of the nobility. He spent most of his career in Milan.
His designs combine flowing, abstract shapes and evocative color relationships, sometimes a pale blue and orange scheme (above) or indigo blue and olive green (below).
This opera poster shows the death of Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. The red and yellow colors suggest the passion and drama.
In his later years he alternated between Italy and Germany, and he spent time not only designing posters, but also painting murals and designing sets and costumes for the stage.
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Adolfo Hohenstein on Wikipedia
Wild lines.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I didn't know about him - such a wonderful style. I can see Parish, Mucha and even a bit of Rockwell in his art. Thank you James!
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