Horst Naumann was a German painter, graphic artist, and poster designer whose career spanned the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, and East Germany. Best known for his political posters and commercial graphics, he was one of the leading poster designers in the GDR.

Born in Riesa in 1908, Naumann studied portrait painting with Johannes Uhlig before entering the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, where he was taught by Otto Dix and later became a teacher himself. He also studied decorative painting at the State Academy of Applied Arts in Dresden. In 1927, he joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and became involved with the Association of Revolutionary Visual Artists. From 1929, he worked as a cartoonist and illustrator for the KPD newspaper Die Rote Fahne and other left-wing publications.

During the 1930s, Naumann worked as a commercial artist while continuing to create political graphics. Arrested by the Nazi authorities in 1934 for his political activities, he served a prison sentence. He was later drafted into the Wehrmacht and served until 1943.

After the Second World War, Naumann returned to Dresden and worked as a freelance graphic artist. His 1946 poster The New Dresden accompanied an exhibition on the reconstruction of the city. In the following decades, he became known for posters, advertisements, postcards, stationery, and postage stamp designs. His work often combined clear graphic forms with themes of industry, culture, and social progress.

Naumann joined the Association of Visual Artists of Dresden in 1952 and became one of East Germany’s most recognised poster designers. He received numerous awards for his posters and stamp designs, including the Patriotic Order of Merit in 1978. His work is held in collections including the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig and museums in Dresden, Berlin, Bonn, and Koblenz.