Description
This original Swedish poster for Kärlek och Rashygien (1921), the Scandinavian release of Experimental Marriage (1919), stands as a bold and intellectually charged example of early modernist film design. Gunnar Håkansson’s composition is both graphic and subversive: a stylized female figure—representing Constance Talmadge—stands poised between two sharply rendered male figures, her elongated form and simplified features reflecting the emerging visual language of Art Deco. The figures are arranged with a deliberate rigidity, their geometric bodies and flattened planes conveying both elegance and quiet satire.
The limited palette of deep blue, black, cream, and muted red reinforces the poster’s striking clarity, while the exaggerated proportions and angularity lend the work a distinctly avant-garde sensibility. Beneath its playful surface, the composition subtly echoes the film’s themes of modern relationships and social experimentation, aligning with broader cultural conversations of the postwar period. The Swedish retitling—translating to “Love and Race Hygiene”—adds an additional historical layer, reflecting period-specific social discourse and lending the piece a provocative conceptual dimension.
Posters from this early phase of Swedish silent cinema are notably scarce, particularly those with such distinctive artistic authorship. Produced in limited quantities for local theatrical display, few examples have survived, and works by Håkansson are especially sought after for their refined graphic style. Examples of this caliber are typically held within established collections and seldom appear on the open market, further enhancing their desirability.
Condition: Archival linen-backed with professionally restored fold marks; Grade A-. No paper loss, with vibrant color and a clean, well-preserved surface.
Authentication: Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and sourced from an IVPDA-certified dealer.
Gunnar Hakansson (1891-1968)
Date:1921
Size:23.25″ x 35.5″
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