[Blue Band Margarine]
A modernist whose projects integrated photography, architecture, and graphic design, Piet Zwart was a pioneer of the Dutch avant-garde. He assiduously collected commercial art from around the world and—together with peers in the Ring of New Advertising Designers—adapted innovative aesthetics to corporate ends. In this, the most experimental of his still lifes for a margarine brand, he takes inspiration from recent industrial work, including the 1927 NKF cable catalogue. With trick lighting and plate glass, he seems to suspend this margarine midair, above a branded crate. Scrapping stereotypical associations with the product—from the farmyard to the family table—he instead summons its site of manufacture. Though it barely registers as food, this product presents the eye with a confounding feast.
Artwork Details
- Title: [Blue Band Margarine]
- Artist: Piet Zwart (Dutch, Zaandijk 1885–1977 Wassenaar)
- Date: 1930
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 17.2 x 12.4 cm. (6 3/4 x 4 7/8 in.)
Frame: 14 x 11 in. - Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Warner Communications Inc. Purchase Fund, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.507
- Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Piet Zwart
1938
Piet Zwart
1930s
Piet Zwart
ca. 1930
Piet Zwart
1928
Brassaï
1932, printed ca. 1960
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.