Piet Zwart

28 May 1885 –24 September 1977
Zwart was a Dutch Typographer, Photographer and Industrial Designer.

Studied: School of applied arts in Amsterdam 1902-1907

Like many, he started his career off as an Architect and worked for Jan Wils and Berlage

Important works:
During WWI, Zwart worked on furniture, interior and fabric design


Breakfastset, for H.P. Berlage, pressed glass (1923-24)


Was influenced by Jan Wills, who was a member of the De Stijl group and to whom he worked as  a draftsman. This was when he began to become interested in graphic design and photography.

 Letterhead for Jan Wills (1921)

As a Typographer he was well known for breaking down the rules of traditional photography

LAGA Rubber Flooring, Folder for Vickers house (1923)

Left - Vierkant Plat Rond, advertising for NKF 1926

 Right - Hot Spots, advertising for NKF (1926)

 Sien via Scheveningen Radio, 2 designs for an advertisement with photogram (1929)

Piet Zwart died at the age of 92 in 1977. The Piet Zwart Institute of the William de Kooning Academy Rotterdam - the same art school of which he was a professor in the 1920s - is named after him.

For more information on Piet Zwart, Visit http://www.iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart/