Artist 27: Sternberg Brothers

The Sternberg brothers, Vladimir and Georgii, were both born in Moscow.  But remained Swedish citizens, like their father, until 1933.  Together they attended the Stroganov School of Applied Art in Moscow from 1912 to 1917.  They then moved into the Moscow Svomas, the free studios, while there they, along with other students, they designed decorations and posters for the first May Day celebration in 1918.  Then in 1919 the brothers helped to found the society of young artists.  Although they participated in many group exhibitions from 1919 to 1923, in 1922, along with one other artist, the brothers had their own constructivist exhibition.  Other than their art, they made costumes and sets for a theater.  Then between 1929 and 1932 they taught at the Architecture-Construction Institute in Moscow.  Their art covered a wide range of media, but their largest success was in graphic design of film posters.  In their posters they distort perspective, photomontage, exaggerated scale, movement, and a use of color and typography that was very dynamic.  Even after Georgii, age 33, died his brother, Vladimir continued to create posters and organized decorations for the May Day celebration of 1947.  Although they only worked together on posters for nine years, their work became the standard that got imitated by others.