Theaterkunst Ausstellung

Theaterkunst Ausstellung / Zurich — Carl Roesch — 1914

A striking and rare exhibition poster by Carl Roesch for the Theaterkunst Ausstellung (Theatrical Art Exhibition) held at the Museum of Applied Art in Zurich in 1914. The composition features a contemplative harlequin figure drawing back theater curtains, inviting the viewer behind the scenes into the world of costume and stage design. The image is both poetic and theatrical, capturing the spirit of early 20th-century stage arts with a refined and symbolic approach.

Carl Roesch (1884–1979), born in Diessenhofen, Switzerland, was a painter, graphic artist, and art teacher who studied fine and applied arts throughout Switzerland and Germany. After returning to his hometown in 1907, he developed a diverse career that included painting, graphic design, and large-scale decorative work such as murals, stained glass, and mosaics. His later work shows influences of Impressionism and Expressionism, while this early poster demonstrates a more structured and geometric approach, bridging his painterly sensibility with the emerging modernist graphic style of the period.

This design is one of only two known posters created by Roesch for the 1914 Theaterkunst exhibition, making it a particularly rare and important example of Swiss graphic design from the pre-war era. Executed in stone lithography, the poster reflects the highest standards of early 20th-century printing and remains exceptionally well preserved.

Details
Title: Theaterkunst Ausstellung / Zurich
Artist: Carl Roesch
Year: 1914
Size: 23.75 x 33.25 inches / 60 x 84 cm
On / Off Linen: On linen
Print Type: Stone lithograph
Condition: Excellent A
Comments: Original exhibition poster for the Theaterkunst Ausstellung in Zurich, featuring a harlequin figure revealing the theatrical world behind the curtain. One of two known designs by Roesch for this event.