Thelonious Monk

Artist

Niklaus Troxler, born 1947

Sitter

Thelonious Sphere Monk, 10 Oct 1917 - 17 Feb 1982

Exhibition Label

Equal passions for jazz and graphic design motivated artist Niklaus Troxler's innovative posters. Starting in the mid-1970s, he organized an annual music festival in his native Willisau, Switzerland, and his advertising images for those events established his reputation as a graphic artist. "His success is linked to his profound understanding of the work he wants to describe," one admirer has observed. In this poster for a tribute concert to jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, Troxler tried to visualize the composer's favorite composition, "'Round Midnight." Originally trained as a typographer, Troxler ultimately outlined Monk's recognizable, goateed profile with brightly colored lettering. Monk, who transformed jazz with discordant, bebop experimentation, was "after new chords, new ways of syncopating, new figurations, new runs." Troxler's unexpected compositions and dazzling color combinations pay tribute to Monk's legacy of improvisation.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

1986

Object number

NPG.97.138

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© 1986 Grafik-Studio Niklaus Troxler Willisau/Siebdruk Bosh AG, Luzern

Type

Print

Medium

Screenprint on paper

Dimensions

Image/Sheet: 128 × 89.8 cm (50 3/8 × 35 3/8")

Mount: 133.4 × 95.3 × 0.8 cm (52 1/2 × 37 1/2 × 5/16")

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Poster

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Male

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Jazz

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.97.138

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4461bc09a-7ce2-4269-b6b9-e5c1f9c7a7df