Carl Moos, otherwise Karl Franz Moos (29 October 1878 – 9 July 1959), was a German and Swiss artist and illustrator, notable for his Art Deco travel and sporting posters, particularly of skiing.
Life Moos was born in Munich in Bavaria, Germany, the son of Franz Moos, a portrait painter. He trained in commercial art in Munich and worked as an illustrator for, among others, the Münchener Tagespresse. He also established himself as a creator of postcards and posters.Weber, Alexander: "Moos, Karl Franz", in: Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (HLS), version of 17 September 2007 (accessed 13 March 2022)
He was a member of the Munich commercial artists' group Die Sechs, together with Friedrich Heubner, Valentin Zietara, Emil Preetorius, Max Schwarzer and Franz Paul Glass, which aimed to improve the standing of advertising and poster graphics.Hellmut Rademacher (ed.): Kunst! Kommerz! Visionen!: deutsche Plakate, 1888-1933. Edition Braus, 1992Die Sechs: E. P. Glass, F. Heubner, C. Moos, E. Preetorius, M. Schwarzer, W. Zietara: Plakate der Sechs. Verlag Vereinigte Druckereien G. Schuh & Cie, 1930
In World War I he left Munich and in 1915 settled in Zurich in Switzerland, where he spent the rest of his life. He continued his career as a successful freelance artist, also developing his poster work in the vanguard of the Swiss poster movement begun by Johannes Handschin. From 1928 to 1933 he worked as artistic director of the Art Institut Orell Füssli.
In 1928 he won a silver medal for Switzerland in the art competitions of the Amsterdam Olympic Games for his poster "Leichtathletisches Plakat".
His travel, sporting, and commercial posters have sold at international auction for thousands of dollars.Invaluable.com - Carl Moos auction pricesChristie's - Carl Moos (1878-1959), St. MoritzSwann Galleries - Carl Moos, P. Rückmar & Co., Zürich 1924
References
Further reading W. Rotzler et al., Das Plakat in der Schweiz, 1990
External links Oxford Art Online: Bénézit Dictionary of Art: Carl Moos (access by subscription only) profile Silbermedallie für Sportposter Plakatbeispiel C. Wagner Sportartikel Posterbeispiel Massgeschäft Posterbeispiel Olympiade 1928 Silbermedaillegewinner bei Kunst Wettbewerb