Germany - Peter Behrens (1868-1940)
Together with Franz v. Stück he initiated the Munich Secession, was a co-founder of the Vereinigten Werkstätten ("Workshops for Arts and Crafts"), made a name for himself in the Darmstadt Artists' Colony and became one of the first members of the German Werkbund.

In 1907 Behrens became artistic advisor to AEG, the electrical appliance company which was expanding rapidly at that time. He introduced a uniform graphic presentation for the company, designed brochures, posters and magazines, and, for the first time gave products and machines a sober shape suitable to industry. In this manner a whole branch of industry was freed from the ballast of historicism; Behrens is thus regarded as the inventor of corporate identity.

Architects, who were later to become famous such as Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies v.d. Rohe worked for him in Potsdam.

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A suite designed by Behrens in about 1900 of poplar wood, originally upholstered in red leather.
© Quittenbaum München, Angewandte Kunst, 11th May 98'