Otokar Štáfl (Czech, 1884–1945)

Poster: Večer Živých Obrazů (Evening of Living Images),
performance of the Czech Philharmonic (April 28, 1915), 1915
Lithograph, 74 x 49 1/2” (188 x 126 cm)

This week we share posters and ex libris by the Czech artist Otokar Štáfl. The variations in the spelling of his first name—“Otokar” appears on his own ex libris; “Otakar” or “Ottakar” are German variants—reflect the linguistic fluidity of Prague prior to the First World War. Variants of the artist’s monogram (seen below) appear throughout his graphic work. 

Many of Štáfl’s posters shown here are of a grand scale. Each bears the imprint “Politika,” the Prague-based publishing house for which he worked from about 1910.

Posters

Poster: Výstava Českých Výtvarníků (Exhibition of Czech Artists), c. 1910–1915
Lithograph, 28 5/8 x 28 3/4” (72.7 x 71.1 cm)

L: Poster: Kabaret Rokoko (Cabaret Rococo), 1915
Lithograph, 62 1/8 x 28 1/8” (157.7 x 71.4 cm)
R: Poster: Rokoko IX Karneval Uměleců (XI Rococo Artists’ Carnival), c. 1910
Lithograph, 71 x 37 1/2” (183.3 x 95.2 cm)

Poster: Právĕ Vyšlo Divadlo: Divadelní Revue
(Premier: Theater Review), c. 1910
Lithograph, 71 3/4 x 37 1/2” (182.2 x 95.2 cm)

L: Poster: Alhambra: Palais de danse, Prague Passage, c. 1910
Lithograph, 71 1/2 x 37 1/2” (181 x 95 cm)
R: Poster: Steeple-Chasse Operetta by R. Piskáčka, c. 1910–1915
Lithograph with cut-and-pasted printed paper (correcting performance date from “27” to “28” January), 64 1/2 x 28 3/4” (164 x 73 cm)

Poster: Sylvestr v Konviktĕ,
Association of Prague Typographers New Year’s Eve celebration, 1910
Lithograph, 41 3/4 x 29 1/8” (106 x 74 cm)

L: Poster: Výstava Obrazů Josefa Ullmanna
(Exhibition of Pictures by Josef Ullmann), 1915
Lithograph, 37 9/16 x 25 7/8” (95.4 x 65.7 cm)
R: Poster: Výstava Obrazů a Grafik: Otakara Štáfla
(Exhibition of Paintings and Graphics: Okatar Stafl), c. 1915
Lithograph, 40 5/8 x 26 3/4" (103.2 x 67.8 cm)

Ex Libris

Eight ex libris, 1910-1913
Each lithograph; between 4 7/8 x 3” (12 x 7.5 cm) and
3 15/16 x 2 7/8” (9.8 x 6.8 cm)

January 9, 2024