Deutscher Werkbund - Peter Behrens

Peter Behrens is a German self-taught architect, artist and a designer which was born in 1868 and died in 1940. He was linked with the Jugendstil Movement in the 1890's and was a very important figure in the first decade of the new century. Behrens was majorly known as "The first Industrial Designer". His main designs focused on streetlamps and teapots but he made part of the Sans-Serif Typography. He was the artistic adviser to the AEG - Allegemeine Elektrizitäts- Gesellschaft electrical company which was the first complete corporate identity. He also designed his own house both interiors, fully furnished and exterior. 

Like I said he made part of the Sans-Serif Typography. The experiments he used to do in his typography were a "deliberate attempt to express the spirit of the new era". He designed a twenty-five page booklet called: 'Feste des Lebens und der Kunst: eine Betrachtung des Theaters als höchsten Kultursymbols' which means: 'Celebration of Life and Art; A Consideration of the Theater as the Highest Symbol of a Culture.' Later on, the Sans-Serif typography was developed by a company who's inspirations were Typography of the Twentieth-Century. The name of the Company is The Berthold Foundry. They designed a group; 'family' of ten different types with different line weights from the original font. 

This remained as an inspiration till the Post War period.

Moving on to some other work of Peter Behrens, I researched on some teapots he designed. They are all worked in metal material, possibly cheap brass and aluminum. They are all similar to each other.

References:

- Inkling, 2009, 'Peter Behrens and the New Objectivity' [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.inkling.com/read/history-of-graphic-design-philip-meggs-5th/chapter-12/peter-behrens-and-the-new [Accessed at: 10th January 2014]