Hugo Reinhold Karl Johann Höppener, known by the pseudonym Fidus (October 8, 1868 - February 23, 1948), was a master of symbolist expression whose influence transcended the boundaries of time to shape the graphic design of the psychedelic era of the late 1960s. Born in Lübeck, Germany, the son of a confectioner, Höppener's artistic talent ignited a spark early on that began his journey into the world of art. A significant influence on this path was the "apostle of nature" and artist Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach, to whose community he was drawn and under whose name he even served a short prison sentence for public nudity - an incident that earned him the name Fidus, meaning "faithful".
Upon his arrival in Berlin in 1892, Fidus began to turn his artistic vision into reality. He showed his skills as an illustrator in the magazine Sphinx and his impressive repertoire spanned ornamental drawings, book ornaments, bookplates, posters and designs. In the course of his work for Der Eigene, one of the first homosexual magazines, he also explored the terrain of activism. Each art print we offer from Fidus reflects this diverse artistic practice and celebrates his remarkable contributions to the world of art.
Fidus' mystical theosophical beliefs found their way into his artwork, which was often a blend of mysticism, eroticism, and Art Nouveau symbolism. His passion for German mythology and the anti-materialist Gartenstadt and Wandervogel movements influenced his work, as did his relationships with writers such as Arthur Moeller van den Bruck and the brothers Heinrich and Julius Hart. A highlight in his artistic oeuvre is the painting "Lichtgebet" ("Light Prayer"), which he created in eleven different versions and which is exemplary of his masterful skills. Despite his initial enthusiasm for the ideology of the NSDAP, which he supported in 1932, Fidus received little support from the Nazi regime. His work was confiscated and the sale of his paintings was banned. When he died in Woltersdorf in 1948, his art was almost forgotten, but it was to experience a renaissance. In the 1960s, Fidus' works were rediscovered and had a major impact on the psychedelic concert posters produced in San Francisco and the surrounding area. Today, you can bring this impressive artistic influence home by purchasing one of our art prints to preserve and celebrate a part of Fidus' unique legacy.
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.jpg "Light Prayer by Fidus")
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_-_Prayer_to_the_Light_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1399211).jpg "Prayer to the Light by Fidus")
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.jpg "The Earth by Fidus")
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.jpg "Light Prayer by Fidus")
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.jpg "Upswing by Fidus")
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.jpg "My Little Dog by Fidus")
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_-_The_Ball_Runner_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1411006).jpg "The Ball Runner by Fidus")
_-_The_Ball_Runner_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1411006).jpg)
_-_Gaukeltraum_plate_5_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_-_(MeisterDrucke-1412510).jpg "Juggling Dream, plate 5, from the portfolio")
_-_Gaukeltraum_plate_5_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_-_(MeisterDrucke-1412510).jpg)
_-_Zur_Brauntinsel_from_Jugend_-_(MeisterDrucke-1400309).jpg "Zur Brauntinsel, from")
_-_Zur_Brauntinsel_from_Jugend_-_(MeisterDrucke-1400309).jpg)
_-_Brandopfer_Plate_4_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_-_(MeisterDrucke-1400128).jpg "Brandopfer, Plate 4, from the portfolio")
_-_Brandopfer_Plate_4_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_-_(MeisterDrucke-1400128).jpg)
_-_Die_Ewige_Braut_plate_2_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_F_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410236).jpg "The Eternal Bride, plate 2, from the portfolio")
_-_Die_Ewige_Braut_plate_2_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_F_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410236).jpg)
_-_Am_Traualtar_Plate_6_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Frit_-_(MeisterDrucke-1403461).jpg "Am Traualtar, Plate 6, from the portfolio")
_-_Am_Traualtar_Plate_6_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Frit_-_(MeisterDrucke-1403461).jpg)
_-_Sonnenwanderer_plate_12_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_F_-_(MeisterDrucke-1065798).jpg "Sonnenwanderer, plate 12, from the portfolio")
_-_Sonnenwanderer_plate_12_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_F_-_(MeisterDrucke-1065798).jpg)
.jpg "High Watch by Fidus")
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_-_Durch_die_Zauberwelt_plate_9_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_-_(MeisterDrucke-1412509).jpg "Through the Magic World, plate 9, from the portfolio")
_-_Durch_die_Zauberwelt_plate_9_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_-_(MeisterDrucke-1412509).jpg)
_-_Vorm_Karren_der_Gewoehnlichkeit_Plate_3_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_190_-_(MeisterDrucke-1413190).jpg "Vorm Karren der Gewoehnlichkeit, Plate 3, from the portfolio")
_-_Vorm_Karren_der_Gewoehnlichkeit_Plate_3_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_190_-_(MeisterDrucke-1413190).jpg)
.jpg "Confession by Fidus")
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_-_Atlantis_1907_pub_in_Jugend_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410330).jpg "Atlantis! 1907, pub. in")
_-_Atlantis_1907_pub_in_Jugend_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410330).jpg)
_(engraving)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410364).jpg "Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer and pianist (1770-1827) by Fidus")
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.jpg "Dear Lion, Don")
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_-_The_Awakening_of_Spring_(pastel_on_paper)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1399210).jpg "The Awakening of Spring by Fidus")
_-_The_Awakening_of_Spring_(pastel_on_paper)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1399210).jpg)
.jpg "One Believes to Push, and One is Pushed by Fidus")
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.jpg "\"Congress for Biological Hygiene in Hamburg 1912\" / Fidus / Poster, 1912 by Fidus")
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_-_Begegnung_plate_8_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_H_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410235).jpg "Encounter, plate 8, from the portfolio")
_-_Begegnung_plate_8_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_H_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410235).jpg)
_-_The_Uplifting_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1403406).jpg "The Uplifting by Fidus")
_-_The_Uplifting_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1403406).jpg)
.jpg "Cloud Man Fidus by Fidus")
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.jpg "Night of Grace by Fidus")
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_-_The_Ungrateful_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1401831).jpg "The Ungrateful by Fidus")
_-_The_Ungrateful_(litho)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1401831).jpg)
_-_(MeisterDrucke-696733).jpg "Say, Little Animal (...) by Fidus")
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.jpg "Water Lilies by Fidus")
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_-_Sturmgebet_plate_11_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_-_(MeisterDrucke-1404756).jpg "Storm Prayer, plate 11, from the portfolio")
_-_Sturmgebet_plate_11_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_Fritz_-_(MeisterDrucke-1404756).jpg)
.jpg "Liana Swing by Fidus")
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_-_Zu_den_Menschen_Plate_1_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_F_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410237).jpg "To the People, Plate 1, from the portfolio")
_-_Zu_den_Menschen_Plate_1_from_the_portfolio_Lebenszeichen_pub_1908_in_Berlin_by_F_-_(MeisterDrucke-1410237).jpg)
_-_Eisige_Lenzprachte_-_(MeisterDrucke-1417666).jpg "Icy Spring Splendor by Fidus")
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.jpg "Thou Shalt Not Kill by Fidus")
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_-_Beethoven_pub_in_Jugend_-_(MeisterDrucke-1400316).jpg "Beethoven, Published in")
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.jpg "Temple Wall Sculpture by Fidus")
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.jpg "The Lonely Temple by Fidus")
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.jpg "Back View of a Nude in Front of a Portrait of Beethoven by Fidus")
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