The young artist was proud of his posters, as the arresting image at left proclaims. Julius Klinger (1876-1942), who grew up in Vienna and studied art there, moved to Berlin at twenty-one in search of work. Previously he had worked for a fashion magazine in Vienna, Wiener Mode. 
There is some confusion as to whether Klinger studied with Koloman Moser, as several biographies of Klinger assert. Some sources on Moser claim that the polymathic artist had no time for students. In any case, the two men were acquainted. 
At the beginning of the 20th century, pattern books and magazines offered their equivalent of clip art and Klinger contributed to several. including La Femme dans la Decoration Moderne, published by Libraire de l'Art Ancien et Moderne in Paris. Repeating patterns were very popular, but Klinger contributed a characteristically humorous twist by repeating human patterns. 
These stylized images evoke ancient friezes, and I;ve compared them before to caryatids. Why this is, when the subject matter was contemporary is rather subtle. The curly locks on the bathing beauties do look like Greek carvings seen on the Acropolis. And the dancing maidens exist in a netherworld somewhere between ancient greece and fin-de-siecle Vienna.
Images: from the collection of the New York Public Library.
2 comments:
I just marvel every time I visit here that I got lucky enough to find you! Klinger gives me new insight into designing posters!! And the "loopy" poem in the previous post? It doesn't seem possible it was printed in the 1920s. It sounds very modern. thanks again
Welcome back, Jeanne. Julius Klinger is much better known to other artists, who follow in his footsteps, than to the public at large. If you want to gorge on poster art, visit the website of the Museum of Applied Culture (Vienna) at www.mak.at and search their online collection (directions are in English). You can search by name or use online translators for key words (nacht for night, etc.).
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