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#243

Paper Machine

Grossberg, Carl (1894-1940) | Künstler:in

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Building on his work in interior design, Grossberg developed the so-called 'Grossberg-Eintontapete' (Grossberg single-colour wallpaper) in 1931 for the Norddeutsche Tapetenfabrik Hölscher & Breimer (North German wallpaper factory Hölscher & Breimer, NORTA) in Langenhagen near Hanover. This woodchip product was available in 77 delicate pastel shades, which Grossberg selected so that they could be perfectly combined. The 'Grossberg single-colour wallpaper' was a great success.

This painting depicts a monumental wallpaper printing machine used in NORTA's production process. The machine is currently at a standstill, with rolls of paper on the floor to the left and orange wallpaper hanging in the background to dry. The angle at which Grossberg depicted the machine reveals how the colours are applied to the paper: you can see the belts that move the paper roll through the machine, the drum around which the paper is wound and the six printing cylinders that apply different layers of colour to the paper. This painting was also exhibited under the titles 'Tapetenfabrik' (Wallpaper Factory) and 'Tapetenmaschine' (Wallpaper Machine).

At that time, Eduard von der Heydt had also considered commissioning Grossberg to design the colour scheme for his new hotel on Monte Verità near Ascona. Ultimately, however, the contract was awarded to the architect Emil Fahrenkamp.

Location & Dating
1934
Material & Technique
Öl auf Leinwand
Dimensions
90 x 116 cm
Museum
Privatsammlung
Inventory number
X26.129
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