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.
Small Child's Room Limited Edition Rug by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
While originally conceived for a child's room by the artist, this bold yet playful rug makes a beautiful statement in any room. One of the most influential textile artists of the 2...
Wool
Small Study Rug by Anni Albers, Hand-Tufted Wool, Bauhaus Design
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This hand-tufted wool rug by Anni Albers is based on the 1926 cotton and silk original, now part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. This timeless design is in a seco...
Wool
Anni Albers Temple Berry Rug, Hand-Tufted Silk, Bauhaus Design
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
100% pure silk 5.6 x 3 feet (1.7 x .9 meters) edition of 150 Produced in association with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Christopher Farr...
Silk
Small Runner by Anni Albers, Limited Edition, Hand-Tufted Wool
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Produced in association with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. Certificate of Authenticity included. This classic, black and white hand-tufted wool runner by Anni Albers is adap...
Wool
Anni Albers Hand-Tufted Silk Rug, Bauhaus Style, Temple Emanu-El
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
100% pure silk Measures: 5.6 x 3 feet (1.7 x .9 meters) Edition of 150 Produced in association with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Christopher Farr...
Silk
Large Study Rug by Anni Albers, Hand-Tufted Wool, Bauhaus Design
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This hand-tufted wool rug by Anni Albers is based on the 1926 cotton and silk original, now part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. This timeless design is in a seco...
Wool
Design for Wall Hanging '1926' by Anni Albers Limited Edition Rug
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Design for wall hanging (1926) 100% hand-tufted, hand-spun wool 6 x 4 feet (1.8 x 1.2 meters) Edition of 150 Produced in association with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Christopher Farr...
Wool
$1,445 / item
Large Runner by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This classic, black and white hand-tufted wool runner by Anni Albers is adapted from a 1959 runner design and is available in two sizes. The piece features an enticing lattice of loo...
Wool
Albers Wall Covering in Satin natural iron and Copper by Mingardo
By Mingardo, Anni Albers
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Albers wall covering by Mingardo is inspired by the textile work of Anni Albers who was also a teacher designer at the Bauhaus. Clean simple and elegant,...
Copper, Iron
Andy Warhol Rug Hand-Tufted Iconic Pop Art Design
Located in Ferrara, IT
Introducing our exclusive Andy Warhol Design rug, a stunning piece of art that will bring a touch of pop culture to your living space! The rug features a vibrant and colorful design ...
Wool
Large Aubusson-Style Wool Needlepoint Rug, Floral Design, 295 × 233 cm
Located in Wembley, GB
Large Aubusson-Style Wool Needlepoint Rug, Floral Design, 295 × 233 cm This elegant handwoven wool needlepoint rug features a symmetrical floral design centred on an ivory oval medal...
Wool, Organic Material, Cotton
Beautiful New Modern Design Hand Tufted Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful new modern rug with nice Art Deco design and beautiful colors, entirely hand tufted with wool velvet on cotton foundation Custom sizes can be made.
Wool
Limited Edition Geometric Rug by George Sowden, "GJS1" Handmade Wool, 2003
By George Sowden
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
This striking & elegant carpet is from a Limited Edition of 36 units (ours is Edition # 5 of 36, hand signed by the artist/designer George J Sowden, one of the original MEMPHIS m...
Wool
$946Sale Price|53% Off
W 55.12 in L 78.75 in
Interwoven Hand Tufted Wool Rug by Tisca, Modern Design, 1990s
Located in Debrecen, HU
Elevate your interior design with the Interwoven Artistic Hand Tufted Rug by Tisca France. Made from 100% New Zealand wool, this 1990s rug (size: 140x200cm) offers a perfect blend of...
Wool
Strokes Runner Hand-tufted Wool Rug Multicolored
By Begüm Cana Özgür
Located in Istanbul, TR
Strokes Multicolored hand-tufted runner rug offers a playful interpretation of the classic grid pattern through the use of cheerful colors. Each line, tu...
Wool
$5,304Sale Price|20% Off
W 120 in L 156 in
Antique Hand-Knotted Portuguese Carpet, Floral Design, Wool, 1920
Located in Port Washington, NY
This is a hand-knotted, finely woven antique Portuguese carpet, having a all-over floral pattern. Measures: 10 x 13.
Wool
Vintage Spanish Rug with Transitional Style
Located in Dallas, TX
76982 vintage Spanish rug with Transitional style. This vintage European rug represents Spain's history, artistic style and an eccentric melding of the new with the old during the mi...
Wool
$8,850Sale Price|25% Off
W 64.25 in L 113 in
Himani A Limited Edition Hand Knotted Rug by Baxter, Italy
By Baxter
Located in Boston, MA
Designed by Baxter, Himani is a collection of iconic rugs produced in limited and numbered series. A combination of irregular shapes. Each rug is characterized by a series of contras...
Wool, Linen, Silk
Evolution Part I Rug by Illulian Design Studio Limited Edition
By Illulian
Located in Milan, IT
The spectacular and unique design of the limited edition Evolution Part I rug is half traditional and half dynamic contemporary style. The exquisite accessory i...
Wool, Silk
Mid-Century Modern Abstract Design French Wool Rug
Located in Milan, IT
Influenced by the abstract patterns of Berber weavings from the Middle Atlas called 'Boujad', which were avidly collected by many French artists during the colonial period, this rug ...
Wool
Ottavio Missoni Limited Edition Geometric Rug for Missoni Home
By Missoni, Ottavio Missoni
Located in Conversano, IT
Stunning and rare "Orion T101" rug from the original Missoni Home Arazzi Patchwork collection, designed by Ottavio Missoni in 1991. Handcrafted in Italy from pure virgin wool, this limited-edition piece features complex, multicolored geometric motifs that embody Missoni's signature aesthetic. The design is completed by Missoni's iconic woven signature, marking it as an original collector's item. This particular colorway is extremely rare, distinguishing it from other known versions and vastly superior to recent Missoni rugs not made in Italy. This piece is in very good vintage condition with minimal wear on two corners, not affecting its beauty or integrity. One of the rarest color versions of this design, handmade in Italy. Dimensions Length: 234 cm (92.1 in) Width: 166 cm (65.4 in) Keywords: Missoni Home Rug 1991 - Ottavio Missoni Patchwork Carpet - Vintage Italian Designer Rug - Geometric Wool Rug Missoni...
Wool
Vintage Portuguese Accent Rug with Traditional Style
Located in Dallas, TX
76876, vintage Portuguese Accent rug with traditional style. This delightful vintage Portuguese rug features a muted pale sky blue medallion wi...
Wool
'Hayon x Nani' Hand-Tufted Runner by Jaime Hayon for Nanimarquina
By Sybilla, Nanimarquina
Located in Los Angeles, CA
'Hayon x Nani' Hand-Tufted runner by Jaime Hayon for Nanimarquina. Executed in 100% hand-tufted New Zealand wool. The 'Hayon x Nani' collection faithfull...
Wool
Beautiful New Modern Design Hand Tufted Rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful new modern rug with nice Art Deco design and beautiful colors, entirely hand tufted with wool velvet on cotton foundation Custom sizes can be made.
Wool
Small Child's Room Rug by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
While originally conceived for a child's room by the artist, this bold yet playful rug makes a beautiful statement in any room. One of the most influential textile artists of the 20t...
Wool
Small Child's Room Rug by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
While originally conceived for a child's room by the artist, this bold yet playful rug makes a beautiful statement in any room. One of the most influential...
Wool
Small Child's Room Rug by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
While originally conceived for a child's room by the artist, this bold yet playful rug makes a beautiful statement in any room. One of the most influential...
Wool
Small Runner by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Produced in association with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. Certificate of Authenticity included. This classic, black and white hand-tufted wool runner by Anni Albers is ad...
Wool
Large Runner by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This classic, black and white hand-tufted wool runner by Anni Albers is adapted from a 1959 runner design and is available in two sizes. The piece features an enticing lattice of loo...
Wool
Study Rug by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This hand-tufted wool rug by Anni Albers is based on the 1926 cotton and silk original, now part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. This timeless design is limited t...
Wool
Runner by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This Classic, black and white hand-tufted wool runner by Anni Albers is adapted from a 1959 runner design and limited to only 150. The piece features an enticing lattice of loosely w...
Wool
Study Rug by Anni Albers
By Anni Albers
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This hand-tufted wool rug by Anni Albers is based on the 1926 cotton and silk original, now part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. This timeless design is limited t...
Wool