Hellbrunn

c. 1925–30

Hellbrunn, c. 1925–30. Josef Frank (Swedish, born Austria, 1885–1967), Haus & Garten (Austrian, est. 1925). Plain weave bleached linen, loom width, block printed; overall: 57.2 x 123.2 cm (22 1/2 x 48 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Educational Purchase Fund 1937.182 The designer Josef Frank rotated his woodblock designs in half turns, resulting in a mirrored effect as though the colorful flowerbeds were reflecting onto a body of water. Named for the Hellbrunn palace in Austria, built in the 1600s, the design likely refers to the palace’s renowned therapeutic springs. These flowerbeds suggest the presence of a “clear spring” or Hellbrunn in old German.