Berneck
Artist
Ludwig Hohlwein
Germany, 1874 - 1949
Printer
Herman Sonntag & Co., Munich
Datec. 1930
MediumStone Lithograph
Dimensions33 x 23 1/2 in. (83.8 x 59.7 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.5733
DescriptionIn 1930, when Hohlwein’s travel poster promoting Bad Berneck im Fichtelgebirge in Bavaria was printed by Sonntag & Co., this spa town had just introduced the Kneipp treatments mentioned here. These were based on the theories of the late 19th-century German wellness guru, Sebastian Kneipp, who expounded his views on the healing powers of water and medicinal herbs in several books, and founded a number of santatoria as well as establishing the Kneipp company, which survives to this day. The classical figure in the foreground may be a version of Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health, cleanliness, and hygiene, with her chalice of water (but lacking her other attributes); she holds holds the coat of arms of the town, incorporating black-and-white squares and the head of a dog, in her right hand. The fawn behind her represents the purity and beauty of nature. Hohlwein has used a limited color palette to produce individual, flat motifs that are layered to create a sense of perspective, in this case over the town and the Fichtel Mountains behind the figure.On View
Not on view
