''Monte Carlo'', 1921, movie poster painting by Josef Fenneker is a painting by Movie World Posters which was uploaded on November 5th, 2022.
''Monte Carlo'', 1921, movie poster painting by Josef Fenneker
Base painting of the vintage movie poster for ''Monte Carlo'', a 1921 silent romantic drama film directed by Christy Cabanne. The film is set against... more
Title
''Monte Carlo'', 1921, movie poster painting by Josef Fenneker
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Painting - Movie Posters
Description
Base painting of the vintage movie poster for ''Monte Carlo'', a 1921 silent romantic drama film directed by Christy Cabanne. The film is set against the backdrop of the glamorous Monte Carlo resort in Monaco and features a cast of notable silent film stars.
The story revolves around Countess Helene Mara, played by Jeanette MacDonald in her film debut, who is unhappily married to Prince Otto von Liebenheim (Claude Gillingwater). Seeking excitement and romance, Helene escapes her oppressive marriage and travels to Monte Carlo. There, she meets and falls in love with a dashing young nobleman, Count Rudolph Falliere, portrayed by Lew Cody.
"Monte Carlo" explores themes of love, romance, and the pursuit of happiness in a luxurious and exotic setting. The film capitalizes on the allure of Monte Carlo as a playground for the wealthy and the backdrop for romantic escapades.
The film is notable for featuring Jeanette MacDonald in her first film role, which marked the beginning of her successful career in Hollywood and her subsequent rise to fame as a beloved singer and actress. Her performance in "Monte Carlo" showcased her talent and screen presence, foreshadowing her future success in musical films.
While "Monte Carlo" may not be as well-remembered today as some other silent films of its era, it is a significant milestone in the early careers of its cast members, particularly Jeanette MacDonald. The film captures the spirit of romance and adventure that was often associated with silent cinema and the allure of glamorous settings like Monte Carlo.
Base art is the poster artwork after the text has been digitally removed. It thereby closely recreates the original painting used for the poster. As practically all those original paintings have been lost, a recreation attempts to display the original art before the movie studios added descriptive text. See also our collection "Movie Poster Base Paintings."
The posters of graphic artist and painter Josef Fenneker impress with their dark, mysterious and fascinating atmospheres. Stylistically, they embody the unusual and elegant forms of Art Nouveau and the intense emotional energy of the Expressionist painting. His characters, often haunting and spectral female figures, stand out against dark black or blue backgrounds. They are characterized by livid and gloomy tones. The restlessness of 1920s Berlin and the Weimer Republic shines through Fenneker's artworks.
The artist masterfully used the technique of color lithography, thus preferring the medium of printmaking. Lithography was a tradition in German culture. It allowed great expressive possibilities, enhancing contrasts and the sharpness of outlines. While the German printers in that period who were able to keep a colored image bright and distinct within a solid dark ink background were considered the world's most skilled.
About the artist:
Josef Fenneker (1895–1956) was born in Bocholt, Germany and went on to become a noted German painter and graphic artist, designing over 300 movie posters. His recognizable style drew mainly on German Expressionism with a flair for aesthetic decadence.
After studying in Münster, Düsseldorf, and Munich, Fenneker moved to Berlin, where he studied graphic arts and book art at the teaching institute of the Kunstgewerbemuseum. He was a master student of Emil Orlik during his studies there.
At the beginning of his career, Fenneker primarily focused on commercial graphics. However, after 1918, he began designing film posters for major Berlin premiere theaters. His unique style quickly earned him notoriety among the industry. Dr. Siegbert Goldschmitt, director of the distinguished Marmorhaus film theater, commissioned Fenneker to design for many of his theater’s exhibited films.
By age 30, Fenneker had already painted and designed over 250 works. Like many other European poster artists, he created original paintings instead of using photographs, stating, "No photo can show the 'excessive drama' of the cinema; only the drawn and painted illustration can do that."
Fenneker's influences included Expressionism, Cubism and Futurism, Art Deco, and Jugendstil (Art Nouveau). His expressionistic style earned him a position as one of the most important representatives of artistic film posters of the 1910s and 1920s.
Search "Fenneker" to see more of his art.
Uploaded
November 5th, 2022
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