Gottlieb Säuselin the Improviser 1907

Moriz Jung designed this small poster for Gottlieb Säuselin, most likely a cabaret performer, using black ink on a white background, and some highlights in yellow. I’m thinking about the artist making this, maybe in a studio in Vienna. What would it be like to reduce the world to such clear, bold contrasts? The black ink defines the imagery, creating patterns that evoke the art of the Vienna Secession. Look at the zigzags of the border, like sharp teeth, framing the scene. And then you see the solid black mass of the figure on the Pegasus, a symbol of inspiration – or is he falling off it? The yellow accents highlight a lavish feast, with the pig’s head grinning up at the acrobat. Artists are always borrowing, stealing, and improvising, just like Säuselin, and it’s inspiring to see how Jung takes these elements and makes something totally new. Each mark, each line, has a purpose, but it’s up to us to read it, to feel it, to improvise our own meaning.