M Peter Piening studied at the Bauhaus with Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Paul Klee and Mies van der Rohe. He received his PhD from the University of Berlin in 1931 and in the same year began working at the Ullstein publishing house. After working several years as a freelance designer in Paris he came to America in 1934. He worked as an art director for N. W. Ayer and J. Walter Thompson. He was on the editorial staff at Life magazine and in 1942 was appointed art director of Fortune magazine. He held that position until 1946. He taught at the New York Art Student’s League and at New York University. In 1958 he was appointed to the faculty at Syracuse University.