Snake and Woman by Christiansen Postcard

Jugend Magazine was a famous German weekly publication that launched the German Art Nouveau movement known as "Jugendstil," which means "youth style." The magazine was started in 1896 by journalist George Hirth, one of the most influential thinkers in Munich at the turn of the 19th century. It was widely popular and featured the key artists of the Art Nouveau era. This image is a reproduction of the cover art on the 1898, No. 48 issue of Jugend Magazine, created by prominent artist-illustrator Hans Christiansen. Hans Christiansen is considered to be one of the most important Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) artists. This illustration portrays a woman with a gigantic red serpent encircling her. Both the snake and the woman are right at home with the arrangement. The psychedelic posters of the sixties were directly inspired by the this period in art. This is apparent in this artwork, which looks like an album cover from 1969. The sizzling vertical waves about the snake and women come together at the top and spell out "Jugend," brilliantly using the negative space of the red background.~ We are pleased to be able to offer this rare image on this great postcard.