Svenska Varblommer (Swedish spring flowers), c. 1936 (printed c. 1945-1950s)
Josef Frank; Printer: Svenskt Tenn.expand_more
Printed plain weave linenexpand_more
The Marilyn C. Benson Endowment for Art Acquisitionexpand_more 2022.79.2
On View in Gallery 281expand_more
Josef Frank was born in Austria to a Jewish family. Faced with the threat of violence and persecution leading up to WWII Frank moved to Sweden, his wife’s homeland, where he lived from 1933 until 1942 when he moved to New York. He was an extremely prolific designer, creating not only textile designs but more than 2,000 works of furniture. Frank was thoroughly embedded in the modernist movement but did not subscribe to the belief that modernism required a monolithic streamlined aesthetic. His ethos, articulated in his 1958 essay “Accidentism,” accommodated flexibility and a range of design epochs: “Every modern house can be executed in any of the historical styles without diminishing its practicality.” Frank himself drew frequent inspiration from the past in creating his modern designs. This textile depicting Swedish spring flowers was designed during Frank’s time in Sweden.
Details
- Title
- Svenska Varblommer (Swedish spring flowers)
- Artist Life
- 1885 - 1967
- Role
- Designer
- Accession Number
- 2022.79.2
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know