Lot 14: POSTER: RAIMUND GEIGER (1889-1968). HEXENSABB

RAIMUND GEIGER (1889-1968) HEXENSABBAT EIN GESPENSTERFEST. Circa 1910.
42 3/4x32 1/4 inches, 108 1/2x82 cm. Wolf und Sohn, Munich.
Condition B+: restoration and repaired tears in margins; creases and abrasions in image.
The Hexen-Sabbat was a yearly ball held by Munich artists and bohemians. The event took its pagan name from the old German tale of the "Hexentanz auf dem Brocken," in which on every Sabbath, witches would dance around the devil who lived at the summit of a mountain. Each year, a student would design a poster for the event (see Swann Modernist Poster Auction #2113, lot 49). Geiger, who studied in Munich and went on to become a member of the Secession and a professor at the Decorative Arts School, designed the strongest of all the Hexensabbat posters we have seen. It is a powerful image of a devil beckoning the viewer to the event. The bold double outline, in white and black, makes him stand out against the green background. DFP III 974, Plakat Munchen 272, Munchner Faschingsplakate cover and 6.