Ludwig Hohlwein’s Marco-Polo-Tee, created in 1910, condenses an advertisement for tea into a handful of emphatic forms. A stylised attendant in a brilliant blue robe stands to the left of centre, presenting two small white cups on a plate. Behind the figure, deep black and green fields meet in abrupt geometric divisions, while the product name—“MARCO-POLO-TEE”—runs across the lower edge in substantial green lettering. The result is immediately legible yet unusually theatrical: figure, drink and brand appear almost as a single graphic emblem.

Hohlwein was among the leading German poster designers of the early twentieth century, admired for images that communicated at a glance without sacrificing decorative sophistication. His work belongs to a period in which printed advertising was becoming integral to modern brand identity. Rather than relying on extensive copy, designers used simplified silhouettes, concentrated colour and memorable typography to distinguish one commodity from another. Here, the name Marco Polo gives an everyday beverage associations of distant travel, mercantile exchange and cultivated refinement—ideas that carried particular commercial potency in European advertising of the period.

A closer look

The figure dominates the composition through colour rather than central placement. The robe’s saturated blue presses forward against the black ground, its silhouette sharpened by fine facial contours and small yellow decorative accents. White details at the feet punctuate the lower part of the body, preventing the dark base from disappearing entirely into the background. Although the clothing contains ornament, it has been reduced to broad, economical shapes; Hohlwein provides just enough detail to establish bearing and costume without interrupting the poster’s visual speed.

The two cups are remarkably small in relation to the figure, yet their pale surfaces make them among the first details to register. Their curved forms sit above the plate like a concise visual explanation of the product. This restrained presentation is set against an asymmetric structure: the attendant occupies the central-left area, while a green square in the upper right counterbalances the body. Its subtly varied surface softens the otherwise uncompromising division between blue, green and black.

Typography anchors the scene. The heavy serif letters along the bottom do not merely caption the illustration; their green colour connects the brand name to the upper field, binding the poster into a coherent whole. The hyphenated wording gives the title a compact, almost architectural rhythm. A small pale label appears at the lower right, but it remains subordinate to the three elements Hohlwein makes essential: the attendant, the cups and the name of the tea.

Context and significance

Marco-Polo-Tee demonstrates how effectively Hohlwein could balance representation with abstraction. The body remains recognisably human, the cups immediately readable, yet depth has largely been removed. Instead of constructing a naturalistic interior, he arranges flat colour areas that function simultaneously as backdrop, shadow and graphic framework. This suppression of conventional space was particularly suited to advertising, where an image needed to retain its force at a distance and amid the visual competition of the modern street.

The poster also records the language through which imported goods were marketed in early twentieth-century Europe. Marco Polo’s name operates less as historical narrative than as evocative branding, turning travel and trade into an atmosphere around the tea. Seen today, the design is compelling both for that cultural history and for its disciplined economy: Hohlwein allows a restricted palette, a single poised gesture and one line of lettering to carry the entire advertisement.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.

Framed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.