“La Main ouverte,” the Open Hand, first appeared in Le Corbusier’s oeuvre in the mid-1940s. Like so many motifs in the architect’s art, it was continually reused and reinterpreted. For Le Corbusier, the Open Hand is a strong symbol standing for openness, flexibility, and the integrative approach he took to architecture. For him, architecture revolved around people and could serve as a tool for improving their domestic surroundings and their lives. In this edition, the Open Hand floats like a bird before a deep blue sky and above a stylized bay. The sky and water are separated by a distinct horizon, another constitutive element in the designer’s visual vocabulary. Le Corbusier used this print in 1955 as the basis for a poster advertising an exhibition of his important portfolio “Le poême de l’angle droit” at the Galerie Berggruen in Paris. The Circle of Friends is now reissuing the beautiful print as a high-quality lithograph in seven colors produced by Thomi Wolfensberger.
Museum für Gestaltung Zürich does not offer a framing service. However, a framed version is offered for sale in the museum stores at all three locations in Zurich, which is not available online: Le Corbusier frame oiled oak, museum glass UV 92, [h x w x d] 72,5 × 55,5 × 7 cm), CHF 700.–.
20% discount for members of the Circle of Friends