Fine Art

De Stijl, nos. 87–89: Aubette Issue (cover) — History & Facts

The cover for De Stijl, nos. 87–89: Aubette Issue was designed by Theo van Doesburg in 1928 using letterpress printing. The work served as the cover for a special issue of the De Stijl journal, specifically dedicated to the Aubette project in Strasbourg.

This design falls within the later years of van Doesburg’s career, during a period when he was deeply involved in both the theoretical and practical aspects of the De Stijl movement. The composition features a bold, diagonal arrangement of the word "AUBETTE" in large blue capital letters, intersecting with smaller black and blue text arranged both horizontally and vertically. The use of sans-serif typefaces, asymmetrical layout, and a limited color palette of blue and black on a white background reflect the principles of clarity, order, and abstraction central to the De Stijl aesthetic. The cover includes the journal’s title, issue numbers (87, 88, 89), and the location "STRASBOURG," all rendered with precise alignment and spacing. This cover was produced for the 1928 issue of De Stijl that focused on the Aubette, a collaborative architectural and interior design project in Strasbourg involving van Doesburg, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and Jean Arp.

The issue was published during a period of significant activity for the movement, and the cover is representative of van Doesburg’s graphic design work. The design has been preserved in reprints, including the 1968 complete reprint edited by Ad Petersen, and is recognized as a key example of De Stijl’s influence on modern graphic design.

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