As mesmerizing as Anni Albers’ weavings and prints are, her art represents only a fraction of her achievement. In addition to being one of the most important textile artists of the 20th century, she was a designer, writer and teacher.
Albers was born Annelise Fleischmann in 1899 to a well-to-do Jewish family in Berlin. She studied at the School of Applied Art in Hamburg and then attended the Bauhaus, the utopian workshop founded in Weimar in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius.
The school envisioned a unity of art and design, with the goal of training designers and artisans who could create objects both functional and artistic for mass production. At the Bauhaus, where women’s choices for study were limited, the aspiring Albers ended up in the weaving workshop. Although she initially perceived the discipline as unserious, once she had a thread in hand, she was obsessed.
“I heard Paul Klee speak, and he said to take a line for a walk, and I thought, ‘I will take thread everywhere I can,’” she once told Nicholas Fox Weber, executive director of the Albers Foundation.
At the Bauhaus, Anni met and married fellow student Josef Albers, who would later become a celebrated color theorist and painter. His “Homage to the Square” paintings, which explored the relationships between colors, are now considered modernist masterpieces, and his treatment of color was crucial to the development of the Op art movement.
After graduating in 1930, Anni and Josef both became teachers at the Bauhaus, but when the Nazis came to power, the school was shut down. In 1933, fleeing the Nazis, the couple emigrated to the U.S., where they both became teachers at Black Mountain College, in North Carolina.
Black Mountain, which rejected educational norms and was known for its free-spirited atmosphere, produced many luminaries of modern American art — among them Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly, both students of the Alberses’. In addition to teaching, Anni continued her own artistic practice, making what she called “pictorial weavings”: abstract wallhangings having the same formal qualities as a painting.
The Alberses were fascinated by Latin America even before they crossed the Atlantic, so from North Carolina, they made numerous road trips to Mexico and Peru to collect pre-Columbian art. The influence of the ceramics and textiles the couple discovered in their travels is clear in Anni’s work yet her approach to weaving was unorthodox.
Albers incorporated unusual materials such as cellophane and metallic thread. She intertwined linked threads in innovative ways and added knots as artistic elements, as in “Dotted” Weaving (1959). She created studies using corn kernels, grass, twisted paper, lines made with a typewriter and pin pricks.
In addition to her art pieces, Anni designed many functional textiles for mass production. In 1949, Gropius commissioned her to create fabrics for the Harvard dormitories he designed. Shortly afterward, she was commissioned to design fabrics for the furniture company Knoll. In the late ’50s, Anni began publishing books: On Designing, in 1959, and On Weaving, in 1965.
In her 60s, when it became difficult for her to operate a loom, Anni turned her energies to making prints. Beyond the increased recognition of weaving as an art form, another reason for the renewed interest in Anni’s work is that art history has now turned its lens on women artists who were previously overlooked.
Find Anni Albers rugs, wall decor and original prints on 1stDibs.
$4,351
Fox I
By Anni Albers
Located in Paris, FR
Offset, 1972 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 123/150 Catalog : Weber & Danilowitz 29 60.50 cm. x 50.50 cm. 23.82 in. x 19.88 in. (paper) 38.00 cm. x 34.00 cm. 14.96...
Offset
$14,000
E /// Anni Albers Female Women Artist Abstract Geometric Screenprint Bauhaus Art
By Anni Albers
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Anni Albers (German-American, 1899-1994) Title: "E" Portfolio: (First) Triadic Series *Signed and dated by Albers in pencil lower right Year: 1969 Medium: Original Screenprin...
Screen
$22,000
Orange Meander /// Anni Albers Bauhaus Abstract Geometric Female Artist Screen
By Anni Albers
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Anni Albers (German-American, 1899-1994) Title: "Orange Meander" Portfolio: Meander *Signed and dated by Albers in pencil lower right Year: 1970 Medium: Original Screenprint ...
Screen
$14,000
F /// Anni Albers Female Women Artist Abstract Geometric Screenprint Minimalist
By Anni Albers
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Anni Albers (German-American, 1899-1994) Title: "F" Portfolio: (First) Triadic Series *Signed and dated by Albers in pencil lower right Year: 1969 Medium: Original Screenprin...
Screen
$28,000
Red Meander I /// Anni Albers Bauhaus Abstract Geometric Female Artist Screen
By Anni Albers
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Anni Albers (German-American, 1899-1994) Title: "Red Meander I" Portfolio: Meander *Signed and dated by Albers in pencil lower right Year: 1969-1970 Medium: Original Screenpr...
Screen
Anni Albers, ST - Original Screen Print from 1971, Geometric Abstraction
By Anni Albers
Located in Hamburg, DE
Anni Albers (1899-1994) ST, 1971 Medium: Screenprint on cardboard Dimensions: 83 × 62 cm (32 7/10 × 24 2/5 in) Edition: Hand-signed and numbered in pencil Condition: Very good
Screen
$24,000
C /// Anni Albers Female Women Artist Abstract Geometric Screenprint Minimalist
By Anni Albers
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Anni Albers (German-American, 1899-1994) Title: "C" Portfolio: (First) Triadic Series *Signed and dated by Albers in pencil lower right Year: 1969 Medium: Original Screenprin...
Screen
$1,000
H 35 in W 5 in D 5 in
Chinatown Portfolio II Plate Three Signed Silkscreen Large 40 x 38" Greek artist
By Chryssa Vardea-Mavromichali
Located in New York, NY
Chryssa Chinatown Portfolio II, Plate Three, ca. 1978 Silkscreen on thick wove paper 40 × 30 1/2 inches (Ships rolled in a tube measuring 35 x 5 x 5) Pencil signed and numbered 36/150 on the front; bears printers stamp on the back Unframed from the Chinatown Portfolio Printed by Atelier Arco in Paris (with stamp on the back of the print) from the Chinatown Portfolio Renowned Greek-American artist Chryssa was preoccupied with the concept of Chinese letters as art forms, which she explores in her Chinatown silkscreen series. Her deliberate experimentations yield an elegant and compelling result. Chryssa Biography Chryssa Vardea...
Screen, Pencil, Graphite
$2,267
H 29.93 in W 22.84 in
Untitled from "Kinderstern" - Max Bill, Hard Edge, Color Field, Bright Colors
By Max Bill
Located in Köln, DE
Screenprint by Max Bill. From the portfolio "Kinderstern". No Title, 1989 76 x 58 cm Copy 61/100 Edition of 100 (approx.)
Screen
Original World Cup USA 94 - Coca Cola Soccer poster
Located in Spokane, WA
Original World Cup USA ’94, Coca Cola sponsored vintage poster. Archival linen backed in A- condition, ready to frame. This World Cup ’94 poster is very rarely seen or available....
Offset
Sinjerli Variation Ia
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
From the artist's Sinjerli Variations series created in 1977, Frank Stella created this original print as a lithograph and screenprint in colors on Arches paper. Hand-signed in penci...
Lithograph, Screen
$3,000
H 22 in W 22 in
Homage to the Square - P2, F13, I2 - Geometric Screenprint by Josef Albers
By Josef Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
"Homage to the Square - Portfolio 2, Folder 13, Image 2" from the portfolio “Formulation: Articulation” created by Josef Albers in 1972. This monumental series consists of 127 origin...
Screen
$10,000
H 40 in W 25.5 in
Josef Albers -Deluxe Hand Signed edition Munich Olympic Silkscreen Op Art 63/200
By Josef Albers
Located in New York, NY
This work is NOT to be confused with a separate poster edition, which is on different quality paper and bears a printed signature. This is the much-coveted HAND SIGNED and numbered edition. Josef Albers Large: Munich 1972 Olympic Games (Danilowitz 213), 1970 Color silkscreen on 250-gram Schöllers Hammer paper. Signed, dated and numbered 63/200 in graphite pencil on the front 40 inches (vertical) × 25 1/2 inches (horizontal) Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Danilowitz, 213 Unframed Pencil signed and numbered 63/200 - silkscreen from the Deluxe, hand signed edition on Schollers hammer paper (aside from the unsigned regular edition of 4000 on wove paper) Printed by Sirocco Screenprints, New Haven. Published by Ives-Sillman, Inc., New Haven, for Edition Olympia 72 By Josef Albers - famous color theorist and longtime influential head of the Yale University Art Department. It features Albers signature ‘cinetic window’, and is an impressive piece of art and sports history. This is one of only 200 hand signed, dated and numbered prints - (NOT to be confused with the open poster edition of the same image on different paper, which, unlike the present work, only bears the artist's printed signature.) The present work was created in 1970 for the 1972 Munich Olympics. In anticipation of hosting the 1972 summer Olympics, Germany sought to create a positive image for itself. As Arnold Schwarzenegger would write in his memoir "Holding the Olympic Games in Munich was meant to symbolize West Germany's transformation and reemergence in to the community of nations as a modern democratic power". The Munich Olympics were billed as "the happy games" - a term that would become tragically ironic. In spite of, or rather because of, the ruthless killing of Israeli athletes by terrorists during the Munich Olympics, prints like this Albers silkscreen have become a powerful symbol of the enduring power of art to bring cultures together and promote peace. This Josef Albers Olympic...
Screen
$5,950
H 42 in W 35 in
Helen Frankenthaler poster, Hand signed twice & inscribed by Helen Frankenthaler
By Helen Frankenthaler
Located in New York, NY
Helen Frankenthaler (after) Frankenthaler: The Darker Palette (autographed and inscribed), 1998 Offset Lithograph print 42 × 35 in hand signed "Frankenthaler" lower left; inscribed a...
Lithograph, Offset
$4,500
H 39.5 in W 23.5 in
Frank Stella - NY State Columbus Centenary, Lithograph, Hand Signed, Ed. of 100
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Frank Stella The New York State Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Commission, 1991 Offset Lithograph Printed in Colors Signed and dated by the artist in ink on the lower right fron...
Ink, Lithograph, Offset
$320
H 14.57 in W 20.48 in D 0.04 in
Woman - Offset and Lithograph after Willem De Kooning - 1985
By Willem de Kooning
Located in Roma, IT
Woman is an offset and lithograph print realized on Fabriano Paper after a drawing by Willem De Kooning of 1952. Signed o the plate on the lower. The print suite was realized in a...
Lithograph, Offset
$3,893
H 19.77 in W 19.77 in
Sarah Morris, Total Lunar Eclipse - Signed Print, Abstract Art, Geometric Art
By Sarah Morris
Located in Hamburg, DE
Sarah Morris (American, born 1967) Total Lunar Eclipse, 2012 Medium: Screenprint in colors Dimensions: 50.2 × 50.2 cm (19 3/4 × 19 3/4 in) Edition of 108: Hand-signed and numbered Co...
Screen
City 368
By Risaburo Kimura
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Risaburo Kimura– Japanese/American (1924-2014 ) Title: City 368 Year: circa 1972 Medium: Serigraph Sight size: 25 x 19.75 inches. Sheet size: 28.75 x 22.75 inches. Signatur...
Paper, Screen
$950
H 23 in W 28 in
Bright Vibrant Pop Art Silkscreen NYC Abstract Expressionist
By William Scharf
Located in Surfside, FL
Red Angel, intensely and seductively colored: swooning purples and reds, ecstatic lemon yellows, and black construction paper. Jostling shapes, geometric and biomorphic, lyrical and ...
Lithograph, Screen
Sold
H 32.68 in W 24.41 in
Anni Albers, ST - Original Screen Print from 1971, Geometric Abstraction
By Anni Albers
Located in Hamburg, DE
Anni Albers (1899-1994) ST, 1971 Medium: Screenprint on cardboard Dimensions: 83 × 62 cm (32 7/10 × 24 2/5 in) Edition: Not signed, not numbered outside the edition of 150. Condition...
Screen
Sold
H 26.78 in W 26.78 in
Anni Albers (1899 - 1994) - Double Weave - Screenprint on Fabriano paper - 1985
By Anni Albers
Located in Varese, IT
Screenprint on Fabriano paper, edited in 1985. Limited edition of 125 copies, numbered as 46/125 in lower left corner. Hand-signed in pencil by artist in lower right corner. Plate s...
Paper, Screen
GR 1
By Anni Albers
Located in New York, NY
Screenprint in colors on Arches, 1970. Signed by the artist in pencil in lower right margin. Titled and numbered 76/100 in pencil lower left margin. Image is 16 x 20 inches; the f...
Screen
GR I, Eclat Pattern, Silkscreen by Anni Albers 1970
By Anni Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Anni Albers, German/American (1899 - 1994) Title: GR I Year: 1970 Medium: Screenprint on Arches Paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Image Size: 20 x 16 inches S...
Screen
Sold
H 32.68 in W 24.41 in
Anni Albers, ST - Screenprint from 1971, Abstract Geometric Art
By Anni Albers
Located in Hamburg, DE
Anni Albers (German-American, 1899–1994) ST, 1971 Medium: Screenprint on cardboard Dimensions: 32 7/10 × 24 2/5 in (83 × 62 cm) Edition: Unsigned and unnumbered print outside the edi...
Screen
Sold
H 30.71 in W 30.71 in
Anni Albers ( 1899 – 1994 ) – Intaglio with Triangles – hand-signed Screenprint
By Anni Albers
Located in Varese, IT
Screenprint on Fabriano paper , edited in 1985 Limited edition of 125 copies signed in pencil by artist and numbered as: 46/125 paper size: 68 x 68 cm ( 26 5/8 x 26 5/8 inch ) very g...
Paper, Lithograph, Screen
GR I, Eclat Pattern, Silkscreen by Anni Albers 1970
By Anni Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Anni Albers, German/American (1899 - 1994) Title: GR I Year: 1970 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches Paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 46/100 Image Size: 20 x 16 inches...
Screen
Line Involvement II
By Anni Albers
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
'Line Involvement II', lithograph, edition 20, 1964. Signed, annotated 'Bon à tirer II' in pencil by the artist. A superb, atmospheric impression with rich blacks, on heavy cream, wo...
Lithograph
GR I, Eclat Pattern, Framed Silkscreen by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Anni Albers, German/American (1899 - 1994) Title: GR I Year: 1970 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches Paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Image Size: 20 x 16 inches Si...
Screen
GR I, Eclat Pattern, Framed Silkscreen by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Anni Albers, German/American (1899 - 1994) Title: GR I Year: 1970 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches Paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Image Size: 20 x 16 inches Si...
Screen
GR I, Eclat Pattern, Framed Silkscreen by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Anni Albers, German/American (1899 - 1994) Title: GR I Year: 1970 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Image Size: 20 x 16 inches Size: 29 x 24 in. ...
Screen
Sold
H 27 in W 19.5 in D 0.1 in
Triangulated Intaglios, 1972 from Connections 1925-1983
By Anni Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Anni Albers, German/American (1899 - 1994) Title: Triangulated Intaglios, 1972 from Connections 1925-1983 Year: 1984 Medium: Silkscreen, Signed and numbered in pencil Edition...
Screen