Poster “Flying Cherub”, 1912

This poster, executed as a color lithograph, is based on a design by the painter, graphic artist and designer Bertold Löffler (1874–1960). In 1912, Löffler and Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) were commissioned to furnish and decorate the Salzburger Volkskeller, one of the oldest beer cellars in Salzburg, which no longer exists today. Along with Hoffmann, Löffler was in charge of the wall decorations. Much like these decorations, the posters advertising the new venue were invested with an equally folkloristic appearance. Löffler drew plump, flying Baroque putti which corresponded to Jugendstil tastes. Aside from the cherub’s flesh tones, the coloring is limited to yellow, green and red. The drafts for the decorations of the Salzburger Volkskeller were printed as postcards and sold by the Wiener Werkstätte.

MR, 2021