Adolfo hohenstein 1854 1928 chevrolet
Home / General Biography Information / Adolfo hohenstein 1854 1928 chevrolet
Adolfo Hohenstein died in Bonn 12 April 1928.
Adolfo Hohenstein was a German-Italian painter, illustrator, and designer, recognized as a key figure in the development of Art Nouveau in Italy. He also designed posters for Italian brands such as "Buitoni", "Mele" or, as in his 1901 poster, for "Bitter Campari", in which he depicts two elegant gentlemen seated on a café watching their drinks.
At Ricordi's he has as colleague Giovanni Mario Mataloni and as students Leopoldo Metlicovitz and Marcello Dudovich. During the last ten years of his life, he worked mainly as a painter or decorator for numerous buildings.
Hohenstein is an artist of the "Stile Liberty" (the Italian Art Nouveau). His father was a forest engineer, whose career prompted him to travel extensively.
Together with Leonetto Cappiello, Giovanni Mario Mataloni, Leopoldo Metlicovitz and Marcello Dudovich, he's considered one of the most important Italian poster designers. Adolfo Hohenstein was born in Saint Petersburg, the capital of Russian Empire, to German parents, Julius and Laura Irack. He's considered the father of the Italian poster art and an exponent of the Stile Liberty, the Italian Art Nouveau.
There he meets the musical publisher Giulio Ricordi, and in 1889 begins to work for the Ricordi Graphical Workshops, where he shortly becomes the artistic director in charge of the graphical part. His influence extended to future graphic artists like Leonetto Cappiello and Marcello Dudovich, who built on his expressive, dynamic style.
A master of elegance and ornamentation, Hohenstein’s work remains a cornerstone of early modern graphic design, celebrated for its artistic beauty and innovation.
.
He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting.He'll create the posters for La Bohème and Tosca, as well as publicity for Campari, Buitoni and Corriere della Sera, numerous postcards, covers for scores and booklets. He mainly uses taupe and vert-de-gris tones in his works with a bright spot of colour (red, yellow) in the background that creates depth.
In his posters, Hohenstein often uses mythological references: Persée in "Corriere della Sera" (1898), a centaur in "Zolfi Amalgia" (1909/1950) or a faun in "Bière du Cardinal" (ca 1905).
In 1918, he left Milan and moved to Bonn, Germany. He created posters for famous opera such as "La Bohème" (1896), "Tosca" (1899) and "Madame Butterfly" (1904).
After his studies, he moved to Milan in 1879 and became a set and costumer designer for La Scala and other theatres. He is considered the father of the Italian poster art.
He was born in Saint Petersburg from German parents, but grew up and studied in Vienna. His travels take him to India, where he decorates the houses of the local nobility.
In 1879, he settles down in Milan, Italy. The German years see him engaged mostly as a painter and involved in the decoration of numerous buildings, among them one of the first in constructed reinforced concrete in Renania (1911). After meeting Giulio Ricordi, the music publisher, he began working for him in 1889 and soon became the artistic director of Ricordi company.
His work will continue to cover the theatrical dimension: scenarios and wardrobes for several works, among them Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff (1893) and a major part of the works of Giacomo Puccini, from the sketches of Le Villi (1884) to posters of Madama Butterfly (1904).
He will settle in Bonn in 1918. Adolfo moves to Vienna where he grows up and completes his studies.