Artist: JOZEF PEETERS (1895-1960)
Size: Each: 8 7/8 x 12 in./22.6 x 30.5 cm
Condition: A/P. Framed.
Printer:
Reference:
Key Words: Futurist; Literary

Two Linocut Proofs. 1921.
Jozef Peeters is considered to be one of the first Belgian abstract painters. A member of the Futurist movement, Peeters was engaged in symbolism, theosophy, Constructivism, and typographic experimentation. In 1918, he helped found the Kring Moderne Kunst (Modern Art Circle) in Antwerp; in 1921, he organized the First Congress for Modern Art; and in 1922, he became the editor of the literary magazine Het Overzicht. Here, Peeters presents his Avant Garde conceptions in two linocut prints which were preliminary designs for the announcement of “Moderne Dichten” (Modern Poems), recited by Germaine Michielsen at Beethoven Hall on February 25, 1921. The letters have been reduced to elemental shapes, forming an abstract composition that overpowers the need for legibility: the design, instead, is what captures our attention. Another version of this design appears in Merrill Berman’s collection, and he wrote, “If Antwerp’s artistic accomplishments of the early 1920s have attracted less attention than the subsequent achievements of Belgian Surrealist painters such as Paul Delvaux and René Magritte... this may in part reflect the complexities of Belgian history. Many of the figures featured here promoted Flemish language and culture, but when nationalism became a polarizing force in the late 1920s, only some found common cause with Germany and followed the trajectory toward collaboration.” Of these two prints, one is on gold leaf stock and one is black and white; on verso, both are stamped “luxe-uitgave,” or “luxury edition.” (2)