Otto Eckmann
Otto Eckmann, painter, printmaker, and crafts designer, was a leading exponent of the Munich brand of Jugendstil. Before moving to Munich, Eckmann saw a group of Japanese wood block prints that apparently influenced his decision to concentrate on applied design. He began producing Japonist graphic designs in 1895. He proceeded with Japanese-influenced designs for embroidery, textiles, graphic arts, typography, metalwork and ceramics. In all of his work he demonstrated the belief that stylized nature should take the place of historicism in design.
Eckmann was born in Hamburg, Germany. He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Hamburg and Nuremberg and at the academy in Munich. Eckmann was the first Jugendstil artist to be commissioned by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt. He created designs for the nobleman's study in the Neues Palais on Wilhelminenplatz. Eckmann also produced numerous illustrations for the Jugendstil books and journals, was a professor of applied arts at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Berlin.
