Franz Stassen (1869-1949) was a very prolific painter, illustrator, and designer from Germany. He designed picture postcards and related ephemera for decades. Just by looking at his creations, now on display in numerous European museums, we learn a lot about the development of his artistic style, art trends at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, dramatic changes in the social order (including World War and the rise of Nazism), and, of course, many changes in the business of postcards as well.
This page will present about a dozen of Stassen's cards, roughly divided into three groups: war, mythology, and others. There's a good chance this online collection of vintage cards by Franz Stassen will be expanded with more of his work, so you'll get a chance to build an even better picture of this area of Stassen's work.
War
The First World War or The Great War, as was named then, was a time of bloody fights with enormous losses on both sides of the war To persist in such demanding conflict, it was essential to address all segments of society. While the soldiers were more or less confined at their positions, they still had friends and families in parts of the country where the consequences of war were experienced differently, with way more chances to reflect and redefine.
Lonely soldier under the starry sky
All kinds of propaganda tried to influence public opinion, so posters, postcards, and other mediums were a necessary part of everyday life. Artists, like Stassen, were swamped with work. As we can see below, King Friedrich II, often called Friedrich The Great, the last official King of Prussia, a very successful diplomat and war strategist, was Stassen's central figure, despite the fact he was already dead for decades in the times of WW. Some of the postcards are presented with both sides - front and back, just to improve your documentary experience of the subject.
Friedrich II depicted in decorative border in Art Nouveau style
Friedrich II in uniform Where is my Prussia? Bismarck in armor
May avenger arise from our bones
Knight with a flag
Mythology
Franz Stassen's career improved dramatically after the beginning of his friendship with Siegfried Wagner, Richard Wagner's son and manager of the festival in Bayreuth. Stassen soon became an unofficial visual artist of everything related to the events in Bayreuth (he even had an exhibition of his work there), from illustrating sheet lists and creating certificates for sponsors to illustrating books made after Wagner's operas and designing picture postcards. Elsa is the main female protagonist in Lohengrin Venus Mountain (Venusberg) is a location in Tannhauser Kriemhild is a powerful princess in the Ring of Nibelung Brunhild is a Valkyre from the Ring of Nibelung whose character supposedly inspired the famous fairy tale about Sleeping Beauty Isolde from Tristan and Isolde Senta is a poetic character from The Flying Dutchman
Other
Babies by the brooke
Swan virgins
Thst's all for now!