TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Fri Dec 13 00:51:04 EST 2024

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ABOUT

Piet Zwart

Dutch designer, b. 1885, Zaandijk, d. 1977, Wassenaar. Author of Cable Book (1925) and creator of many classic advertisements for the Netherlands Post Office (PTT). His work was influenced by Hungarian De Stijl artist Vilmos Huszar and Dutch architect Jan Wils, whom he met when he moved in 1913 to Voorbug. Wils had worked for Berlage. In 1913-1914, he studied at TU Delft and started his career with Berlage in Voorburg. From 1919 until 1922 he worked for Wils. In 1959, he received the Quellinus Prize in typography. The David Roellprijs followed in 1964. In 2000, Zwart was posthumously awarded the "Designer of the Century" award by the Association of Dutch Designers. From 1919 until 1933 he taught at the Rotterdamse Academie van Beeldende Kunsten en Technische Wetenschappen.

Quoting Design Observer: Piet Zwart's work was multi-disciplinary and spanned the gamut of industrial design, typography, photography, and most notably graphic design. As an industrial designer, Zwart is best known for his design of the Bruynzeel modular kitchen in 1937, which is still available today. As a graphic designer, the work he produced for Nederlandse Kabelfabriek Delft (Dutch Cable Factory in Delft) and Dutch Postal Telegraph and Telephone Company (PTT) is arguably among the best known Dutch graphic design of the 20th century. His graphic design work clearly shows the influence of Constructivism and, though he was not a part of the De Stijl, his work reflects elements of this movement. Recurring themes are the use of repetitious patterns, lines, circles, primary colors, photomontage and explorations of experimental typography.

Examples: Toneel Wij Nu, 1925, Kataloog PTT, 1924, Nutter margarine inpakpapier, 1923.

Type revivals of Piet Zwart's typefaces include

• Trio Grotesk (2012, Florian Schick at Bold Monday, and since 2020 at Type Network), a rounded sans family. It revives Zwart's Kaart Antieke from 1909.
• Rubber Vloeren (Ian Lynam, Wordshape). A geometric display typeface adapted from an alphabet used by Piet Zwart in the Netherlands for a series of advertisements for rubber flooring.
• Zoa Wassenaar (2013, David Rudnick).
• Monumental Grotesk (2016, Robin Mientjes, Tiny Type Co) is a stone-carving emulation typeface based on Piet Zwart's lettering for his architect friend, Hendrik Berlage.

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INTERNAL LINKS
Dutch type design ⦿ De Stijl and type design ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Telephone directory typefaces ⦿ Architectural lettering/typefaces ⦿ Stone age fonts ⦿