Kasperltheater 1907

Hans Kalmsteiner made this small print called Kasperltheater, whereabouts unknown, using, I think, a kind of woodblock technique. The first thing I notice is the border of blue triangles, these are like a stage curtain that’s also part of the scene. Kalmsteiner makes use of simple shapes and flat planes of color, a shorthand that invites your imagination to fill in the gaps. Look at how he balances the dark background with the patterned windmill and the bright red figure, like a devilish Punch being extracted from his box. The textures are so suggestive, especially in the windmill. Each brick is a small square of colour, all blending into a warm, inviting, form with a cold black window staring out like an eye. It reminds me a bit of Kandinsky’s early abstracted landscapes; both artists share a passion for folk art and a desire to capture its spirit. This piece has a quiet strangeness, typical of the Austrian Expressionists, who saw art as a place to explore the darker side of the imagination.