An early exponent of the Neue Sachlichkeit, “New Objectivity” movement, the Swiss painter Niklaus Stoecklin (1896–1982) was interested in what the figure, inanimate objects (still life), and landscapes could to to help him convey emotional states. He developed a unique ability to produce objects with a clean precise meaning & personality. He often exaggerated and distorted the features of the forms in his work, using less precise brushwork and putting greater emphasis on gesture and/or expressive color. Today Stoecklin is most known for his graphic art. He was a prodigious creator of slick, simple, powerful advertising graphics and book illustrations; as a professor at the Schule für Gestaltung (School of Design) in Basel, he trained a generation of Swiss graphic designers.
