Illustration: Otto Eckmann. Fruhlings Einzug tapestry design, c1898.
In 1894, the trained fine artist Otto Eckmann, abandoned fine art to instead concentrate a second career that was dedicated largely to that of the decorative arts. Many fine artists during this period of European cultural history were involved at some level with the decorative arts. However, few abandoned fine art altogether and most were certainly not as publicly supportive of the role that the decorative arts played, as Eckmann was.
Although Eckmann was well known for having produced seminal illustrative work for some of the leading German art magazines of the day such as Jugend and Pan, he also produced work across a number of craft disciplines including printed and woven textiles, rug and carpet design, tapestry, embroidery, wallpaper, glass, metal and furniture design.
The tapestry design shown in this article was produced in about 1898. Its title Frulings Einzug, which very roughly translates into English as Enter Spring or The Advent of Spring, is perhaps typical of the period as it has certain elements connected with the sensibilities that would be expected from the Art Nouveau era, but tempered somewhat by Germany's own Jugendstil movement, which was less stylised and affected than the French and Belgian versions of the movement.
This particular decorative piece has a compositional symmetry that is very obvious and defining. Not only is the floral framework binding the composition equal on both sides, but so too are the compositional figures, with the spring maiden in the centre being flanked by two groups of twin maidens as well as two before her guiding her path. There are trees either side of the group, each with overhanging foliage and although there are small differences between the two segments of the tapestry, a vertical line through the centre does give an almost mirror image. However, even though, to some extent Eckmann's piece could be seen as being brutally symmetrical, it does still have a charm and relaxed elegance about it, that denies any fixed values that would be expected from the symmetry involved.
Although not as ground-breaking and uncompromising as some of the decorative work being produced by Eckmann during this period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, his tapestry work has a gentle calmness and an understated appreciation of and attunement with the rural idyll. As Eckmann had been raised in Hamburg, a number of his tapestry pieces had as their theme the northern German coast, as well as other rural aspects of this region of Germany. The themes are understated, graphic and to a certain extent at least, influenced by the generalised atmosphere of Japanese prints, which Eckmann greatly admired.
Fruhlings Einzug is placed at the end of an era of sympathy for, and attunement with the cycles and rhythms of nature, much of it wrapped up in the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. Although not overwhelmingly so, the following twentieth century could be said to be the century of the urban machine with the fine and decorative arts of Europe spending much more time and energy concerned with themes that were city, rather than country orientated. A piece of art work celebrating the coming of spring, complete with country maidens, could still be produced and accepted in 1898, whereas the same could not be said with anywhere near the same level of confidence in 1928.
Further reading links:
Modern Style: Jugendstil/Art Nouveau 1899-1905
Jugendstil Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau: Utopia: Reconciling the Irreconcilable (Taschen's 25th Anniversary Special Editions Series)
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (Art and Ideas Series)
Art Nouveau (World of Art)
Art Nouveau Designs (Agile Rabbit Editions)
Art Nouveau 1890-1914
The Art Nouveau Style
Victorian and Edwardian Decor: From the Gothic Revival to Art Nouveau
The Essence of Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (DK Collector's Guides)
Art Nouveau Architecture
