Ex-libris (bookplate) - Hans Hoppe

At first sight it is difficult to recognize that this ex libris is in fact an illustration for the tale entitled «The Frog King», since our attention is drawn from the frog - the main character - by the typical Jugendstil female figure with long, flowing hair, dressed in black and white, as well as the decorative reed background. The cunning combination and contrasts of lines and shades create a unity between the figure and the landscape. All parts of the picture get the same emphasis, the decorative effects of the surface gain more importance than the topic.