Licht und Schatten (Light and Shadow)
Emile Preetorius
German, 1883–1973
1910
A 1910 lithographic poster by Emile Preetorius that advertises 'Licht und Schatten' and seeks to make the idea of light and shadow visually immediate through stark black-and-white shapes and elongated silhouettes.
You are struck by tiny, solitary figures (and a dog) whose long, dramatic shadows slash across a pale field, while heavy, hand-lettered type sits like a weight at the composition’s base, unifying image and text.
The poster exemplifies early twentieth‑century German graphic design, where simplified silhouettes, high-contrast printing, and integrated typography helped move commercial posters toward the visual economy and expressive clarity of modernist design.
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
11 3/4 x 8 3/4" (30 x 22 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of The Lauder Foundation, Leonard and Evelyn Lauder Fund
Accession
274.1986
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
