117

Walter Schnackenberg

1880-1961

Deutsches Theater. 1910.

Condition B: overpainted margins; extensively-replaced and overpainted losses along sides of image; repaired tears and restoration throughout; vertical and horizontal folds. Framed.

Schnackenberg studied with Franz von Stuck at the academy in Munich, and through his travels was exposed to the work of Toulouse-Lautrec in Paris. The two artists shared a passion for depicting nightlife, cabarets and performers, yet Schnackenberg's theatrical vision was more attuned to the prevailing German mood than fin-de-siècle Paris. His posters are an incarnation of the extravagance, decadence and morbidity at the center of Weimar-era indulgences. Similarly to Toulouse-Lautrec in Paris, Schnackenberg left behind a visual gallery of the demimonde of Munich's nightlife; filled with weird performers and dancers. Schnackenberg also worked extensively on theatrical and costume design. This poster is a tribute to Toulouse-Lautrec's work, with elements of Divan Japonais - the elegant couple looking down at a performer on stage, a nod to Jane Avril, with the high-leg kicking can-can dancer, and to Moulin Rouge, in the people seen in silhouette. Unlike Toulouse-Lautrec, here the typography flows through the image like the performer.

Encyclopedie de l'Affiche p. 231.
47½x35 inches, 120¾x89 cm. O. Consée, Munich.

  • Condition:
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February 26, 2026 12:00 PM EST
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