Poster for the fancy-dress celebration of the artists’ association Die Juryfreien in Berlin, 1912

The artists’ association known as November Group, of which the artist Georg Tappert (1880–1957) was a member, defined its 1918 manifesto in keeping with the revolutionary spirit. It welcomed creative minds from all fields, including writers and architects, espousing the creed of freedom, equality and fraternity. The Expressionist association derived additional influences from Cubist and Dadaist movements. Along with Max Pechstein (1881–1955), Tappert was among the association’s noteworthy founding members, and was responsible for this poster advertising a fancy-dress ball. Inspired by African objects, the masks appear strangely distorted, the empty dark eyes conjuring an uncanny atmosphere, while the cat’s neck looks overstretched.

ASch, 2021