Joost Schmidt

Joost Schmidt (Wunstorf, 5 January 1893 - Nürnberg, 2 December 1948) was a teacher or master at the Bauhaus and later a professor at the College of Visual Arts, Berlin. He was a visionary typographer and graphic designer who is best known for designing the famous poster for the 1923 Bauhaus Exhibition in Weimar, Germany.

Studies

Schmidt studied art at the Grand-Ducal Saxon Academy of Fine Art in Weimar, before becoming a student at the Bauhaus School from 1919–1925, training in the wood-carving workshop. He became the master student of Max Thedy and received his diploma in painting in the winter semester of 1913/1914.^[1]

Teaching

Joost Schmidt taught lettering at the school from 1925–1932; head of the sculpture workshop from 1928-1930. He was also head of the Advertising, Typography, Printing, and associated Photography department from 1928 to 1932. In the years of 1929-1930, he taught life and figure drawing classes for upper division work.

Family

Joost was one of three children, and endured a difficult upbringing. He pursued his work as a graphic designer despite much resistance from the Nazis. After receiving his diploma in 1914 in painting, he served in the military and was briefly a prisoner of war until he returned to his work in Germany in 1918.^[2] In 1925, he married his wife, a Bauhaus student, Helene Nonne.

References