Items Similar to Cabriolet coachwork design by Alexis Kellner AG for the Packard Custom Eight.
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
Herschu (Herbert Schultz)Cabriolet coachwork design by Alexis Kellner AG for the Packard Custom Eight.1930
1930
About the Item
Gouache and watercolour heightened with gum-arabic on very dark green card, annotated in pale ink with body type below, numbered ‘76’, in upper left corner, German copyright label on verso. [Berlin 1930]
Finished in green with contrasting light green roof and matching solid disc wheels, presented against a silhouette of a grand palace, this imposing 4-door cabriolet was one of the more luxurious variant designs around the underpinnings of the company’s straight-8 engine and drive train. It evolved from the Single Eight, so-called as it replaced the earlier V-12 known as the Double Six. Founded in 1899 by brothers James and William Packard, the eponymous company was not only one of the pioneers of North American motor manufacturing, but soon gained a global reputation for luxury and smoothness.
The marque had been selling more models abroad than its competitors in the 1920s, culminating with selling twice as many as its closest rival by 1930. It is little wonder its the Packard received the attention of such creative luxury coachbuilders as Kellner.
Founded by Alexis Kellner (1880-1953) in 1910, in Berlin, the eponymous Alexis Kellner AG coachbuilding company’s stylish automobile bodywork designs were immediately successful.
This was demonstrated by the number of orders he received at the International Motor Show, in Berlin, in 1911. Kellner was noted for his inventiveness of small details, such as a concealed handle behind the driver’s seat for quickly and easily raising and lowering the car’s roof, concealed bonnet hinges, for aesthetic as well as aerodynamic reasons, and a suitcase mounted on the running board.
The company’s success reached its zenith in the 1920s, when it was famed for the luxury bodies it designed for such prestigious manufacturers as Audi, Austro-Daimler, Bugatti, Cadillac, Horch, Maybach, Mercedes, and others. This popularity stemmed from both the highly stylish external lines and the sumptuously appointed interiors. This emphasis on sensuous indulgence was even reflected in the company’s pioneering use of nude women in its advertising.
But, as with so many manufacturers dependent on wealth and stability in the market, its fortunes crashed in 1929, and Alexis Kellner was declared bankrupt in 1930. The brand name and patents were sold to arch-rival, Drauz in Heilbronn, against whom Kellner had launched a plagiarism suit in 1920 over a particular body design, who shrewdly maintained the Kellner name for its sales company.
The stylishness of Kellner’s coachbuilding was perfectly captured and presented to the public by the artistry of Herbert Schultz. Unlike the flamboyant designs he portrayed so skilfully, Schultz was a modest man, despite being a creative all-rounder. In 1818, as a commercial artist and caricaturist working for the Berliner Tageblatt, he gained the admiration of fellow contributor, the artist George Grosz. Schultz had only recently come to Berlin, having graduated from the Royal Academy of Graphic Arts in Leipzig, followed by a spell at the Kunstakademie in Hamburg.
Schultz’s skills as a graphic artist lent themselves perfectly to illustrating promotional catalogues to appeal to Alexis Kellner AG’s affluent clientele, which had included the royal household. Always signing his work as ‘Herschu’, he presented these imposing designs against subtle open country landscapes, glamourous night cityscapes, or floating in isolation against a solid ground.
Following the demise of Alexis Kellner AG, Schultz’s ongoing artistic career was finally blocked by the Nazi state when he refused to part with his half-Jewish wife. So the Herschu name faded, as did that of Kellner, only for both to be rekindled now in these recently rediscovered, breathtaking, design.
- Creator:Herschu (Herbert Schultz) (German)
- Creation Year:1930
- Dimensions:Height: 10.63 in (27 cm)Width: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Framed and glazed. Overall dimensions 27 x 42 cm.
- Gallery Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: 974771stDibs: LU141926901782
About the Seller
5.0
Gold Seller
Premium sellers maintaining a 4.3+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 1979
1stDibs seller since 2020
17 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 5 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: London, United Kingdom
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllCabriolet coachwork design by Alexis Kellner AG for the Cadillac 341-A.
By Herschu (Herbert Schultz)
Located in London, GB
Gouache and watercolour heightened with gum-arabic on very dark green card, annotated in pale ink with body type below, numbered ‘77’, in upper left corner, German copyright label on...
Category
1930s Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Gouache, Handmade Paper
Sportcabriolet coachwork design by Alexis Kellner AG for the Cadillac 341-A.
By Herschu (Herbert Schultz)
Located in London, GB
Gouache and watercolour heightened with gum-arabic on very dark green card, annotated in pale ink with body type below, numbered ‘78’, in upper left corner, German copyright label on...
Category
1930s Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Gouache, Handmade Paper
Automotive design for Alexis Kellner AG Berlin: Pullman Limousine Adler Standard
By Herschu (Herbert Schultz)
Located in London, GB
Pullman Limousine Adler Standard.
Gouache and watercolour heightened with gum-arabic on very dark green card, annotated in pale ink with body type below, numbered ‘93’, in upper lef...
Category
1930s Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Gouache, Handmade Paper
REDOUTE, Pierre Joseph. Rosa Parvi-Flora.
By Pierre-Joseph Redouté
Located in London, GB
A Gift from King Charles X to the Duchesse de Berry
REDOUTE, Pierre Joseph.
Rosa parvi-flora.
Watercolour over traces of black chalk on vellum, within gold framing lines; signed in...
Category
1820s Naturalistic Still-life Paintings
Materials
Chalk, Ink, Watercolor, Pen
Automotive design for Alexis Kellner AG Berlin
By Herschu (Herbert Schultz)
Located in London, GB
Half-Limousine coachwork design for an Austro-Daimler.
Gouache and watercolour heightened with gum-arabic on very dark green card, annotated in pale ink with body type below, numbere...
Category
1930s Modern Still-life Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Gouache, Handmade Paper
A Group of twelve Courtiers
Located in London, GB
[CHINESE EXPORT WATERCOLOURS ON PITH PAPER].
Group of 12 Courtiers.
Mid to late nineteenth century.
12 hand painted water-colours on pith paper, pale blue silk borders, a few minor...
Category
Late 19th Century Other Art Style Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Gouache, Rice Paper
You May Also Like
Still life with chicken
Located in Oslo, NO
In this painting, I infused the vitality of nature and domestic tranquility through bold strokes and vibrant gouache colors. The rooster stands proudly, symbolizing wakefulness and t...
Category
2010s Fauvist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Bamboo Paper
Botanical Studies, Pair of Watercolours on Silk on Handmade Paper, Anemones
Located in Cotignac, FR
A pair of fine hand painted botanical watercolour studies on silk of anemones by La Roche Laffitte. The works are signed bottom right. Both are titled. The silk has been mounted on h...
Category
Late 20th Century Still-life Paintings
Materials
Silk, Watercolor, Handmade Paper, Gouache
Botanical Studies, Watercolours on Silk on Handmade Paper, Set of Three Tulips.
By La Roche Laffitte
Located in Cotignac, FR
A set of three fine hand painted botanical watercolour studies on silk of tulips by La Roche Laffitte. The works are signed bottom right. Some are titled and numbered (see photos) Th...
Category
Late 20th Century Still-life Paintings
Materials
Silk, Watercolor, Handmade Paper, Gouache
Vintage Mid Century Modern Still Life Gouache Painting - Pitcher and Grapes
Located in Bristol, GB
PITCHER AND GRAPES
Size: 55 x 73 cm (including frame)
Gouache on paper
A lively and brilliantly executed mid-century modernist style interior still life composition, executed in gou...
Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
Still Life with Flowers and Fruit
Located in London, GB
'Still Life with Flowers and Fruit', gouache on art paper, by French artist, Michel Debiève (1964). As is usual with this artist, the joy is in the detail he has rendered. What is no...
Category
1960s Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Gouache
$1,295 Sale Price
20% Off
"Still Life in White" Robert Gilberg 1950s Gouache on Newspaper
By Robert Gilberg
Located in Arp, TX
Robert Gilberg (1911-1970)
"Still Life in White"
c.1950s
Gouache on newspaper from Sacramento Bee 1957
22.75"x15.25" unframed
Unsigned
Born in Oakland, CA on April 25, 1911. Gilberg...
Category
1950s American Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Newsprint
$750 Sale Price
50% Off