Perusing the poster arts

 

 

 

Art Nouveau poster of a woman in a white gown driving a vintage car

Italian Art Nouveau – Mario Borgoni, 1923

 

 

 

The defining art of posters  

 

Poster art has been a mainstay for defining cultural trends and styles, especially since the beginning of the 20th century. It was quickly recognized that minimal, striking designs with succinct messages and slogans, reinforced with a symbol, had the incisive power to penetrate the mass consciousness and market. Repetitive visual application went a long way to establishing a brand and building sales. The growing industrialization nourished increasing consumerism and advertising budgets which led to greater investment in the quality of artistic design and production of posters. Advertisers became highly motivated to research the foibles and attractions towards the purchasing habits of the public and learn how to capture their imagination.

 

circuit-de-milan-monza-1922-poster-by-aldo-mazza

‘Circuit de Milan, Monza’, 1922  Poster by Aldo Mazza

 

Prior to the emergence of the electronic media, posters had become one of the premium mediums in marketing and were one of the first forms of invasive mass advertising where the audience was confronted with the message irrespective of their interest. Posters became a powerful means for reinforcing design trends and even establishing them. The most poignant visual elements of a particular genre were extracted by advertising designers and utilized for marketing.

The contemporary poster had its genesis back in the 1840s and 1850s when the printing industry perfected colour lithography and made mass production possible. Advertisers began to market mass-produced consumer goods to a growing populace in urban areas and by the 1890s, the technique had spread throughout Europe. A number of noted French artists created poster art in this period, foremost amongst them were Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Chéret, Eugène Grasset, Adolphe Willette, Pierre Bonnard, Louis Anguetin, Georges de Feure and Henri-Gabriel Ibels. Alfred Mucha helped launch the Art Nouveau movement with his Sarah Bernhardt Gismonda poster, which was an overnight success. Gradually more textural and graphic elements were introduced into poster art, along with bolder colour palettes. Tight deadlines and lower budget posters, restricted to one or two colours, led to a greater emphasis being placed on design and graphics, to maximize visual impact. This led to a new wave of artistic presentation with minimalized design, which had a natural symbiosis with simplified modernist trends that were evolving at the beginning of the century.
Politics also exploited the market penetration of posters and along with flyers became an effective means for revolutionaries to be heard, which was exemplified with their use in stirring up negative sentiment against the aristocracy during the French Revolution and was also widely used by the Bolshevics with their constuctivist posters. The growth of the movie industry at this time also led to the elaborate sized posters being developed for promotions.
As a means for discovering insights into the popular trends of the last 175 years, the poster has provided a vivid encapsulation and record of the potent visuals through different eras. The spread of new art movements were greatly enhanced by the adaption of artists to express themselves through this medium.

 

 

Hughs rocket furue poster NY World Fair

1939 World Fair – Rocketman

 

 

 

1910-original-poster-by-carl-moos-swiss-1878-1959-pullman-gallery

Swiss poster by Carl Moos

1910

Pullman Gallery

 

 

vanity-fair-cover-october-1924-poster-print-by-william-bolin-at-the-conde-nast-collection

Vanity Fair Cover October 1924 Poster Print by William Bolin at the Condé Nast Collection

 

 

 

1922-bugatti-french-france-automobile-car-vintage-ad

Italian Bugatti sports car poster, 1910

 

 

 

1933-le-sourire-magazine - a lady at the seaside dressed in a black and white striped outfit

‘Le Sourire’ magazine

1933

 

 

1950-the-black-cat-poulwebb-blogspot-co Universal movie poster

The Black Cat movie poster

1950

 

 

 

vogue-1926

Vogue magazine “Jazz Age” cover – William Bolin

 1900

perpetual purveyors of style

 

 

art-deco-bauhaus-poster-print-vintage-1930s-cat-by-redgatearts

Art Deco poster print

1930’s

 

 

art-poster-le-corbusier absract art

Abstract poster 1954 – Le Corbusier

 

 

bauhaus-poster by sharkaholic on Devient Art

‘Bauhaus Nude’ – Sharkaholic

Deviant Art

 

 

 

Jazz and Heritage Festival 2001 Louis Armstrong

New Orleans Jazz Festival – James Michalopoulos

Art4Now – 2001

 

 

 

Art Deco Telefunken poster

30’s Telefunken Art Deco

 

 

Anis Del Tigre, Spain

 

 

Cafe Nitro by Michael L. Kungl

Cafe Nitro by Michael L. Kungl

 

 

modeles-for-the-costumes-of-a-ballet-by-anatol-petrytzky

‘Models for the costumes of a ballet’  by Anatol Petrytzky

Avant Garde, Bauhaus inspired ballet costume designs by Anatol Petrytzky circa 1920s

 

 

 

cardwell-higgins-art-deco poster - "A Delightful Page In The Record of My Existence."

“A Delightful Page In The Record of My Existence.” – Cardwell Higgins

Aubrey Beardsley / Harry Clarke inspired fantasy scene from c.1928

1st Dibs   Grapefruit Moon Gallery

 

 

 

Art Deco Chassaing-poster-1930-sarah-stocking-fine-antique-posters

Poster by Jean Chassaing, advertising ‘La Ligne Aurore’, a line of women’s shoes

1920’s

Sarah Stocking Fine Antique Posters

 

 

cotton-club-rhyth-maniap poster

Jazz Age Cotton Club poster for revue ‘Rhyth Mania’ – 1931

 

 

eduardo-garcia-benito-vogue-cover-october-1931

 Poster Print by Eduardo Garcia Benito

Vogue Cover  October 1931 – Condé Nast Collection

 

 

 

covers-by-victo-ngai-on-behance

“Treacherous Waters” by Victo Ngai

 

 

 

distillerie-italiane-1899 Art Nouveau poster

Distillerie Italiane Art Nouveau poster

1899

 

 

edison-mazda-2-egyptian-night art print by Maxfield Parish

‘Egyptian Night’  – Maxfield Parish Egyptomania

 

 

ernesto-el-chango-garcia-cabral

 Revista De Revistas –  Ernesto (El Chango) Garcia Cabral

Mexico, 1920s

 

 

Erte - Romain de Tirtoff art deco illustration

 Ertre aka Romain de Tirtoff

 

 

erte

Erte – Romain de Tirtoff

1912

 

 

ernesto-garcia-cabral el-chango-www-kaifineart

Mexican Illustrator  Ernesto Garcia Cabral (el-chango) for Revista De Revistas magazine

 

 

 

eugenie-les-baines

French Spa of Eugénie les Bains in the French Pyrénées – Bernard Villemot

 1988

 

 

fiat-art-deco-poster, Italy Marcello Dudovich

Italian Art Deco Lithographic poster – Marcello Dudvich

1934

 

 

fortunato-depero-futurism-paintings Moon Dance

‘Danzatrici lunari’ (Moon Dance) – Fortunato Depero – Italian Futurism

1946

 

 

found-on-aisledash-com Art Deco style poster 2005

2005 Art Deco style poster

 

 

1928-by-gerda-wegener-roaring-twenties

Roaring Twenties by Gerda Wegener ( watercolor)

1928

 

 

ernesto-garcia-cabralel-chango-www-kaifineart

 Revista De Revistas –  Ernesto (El Chango) Garcia Cabral

 

 

 

german-spas-poster

German Art Deco Spa poster

 

 

ichiro-tsuruta art deco head shot

Retro Art Deco – Ichiro Tsuruta

 

 

illustration-by-cheri-herouard-for-la-vie-parisienne-january-1926

Illustration by Cheri Herouard For La Vie Parisienne

January 1929

 

 

dorte-clara-wolff-dodo watercolor 'Descent'

‘Descent’ – Dorte Clara Wolff (dodo)

1929

 

 

mexican-travel-poster-Oaaca

Mexican Tourist Association poster

 

 

 

illustration-by-george-barbier-for-la-vie-parisienne-1918

Illustration by George Barbier For La Vie Parisienne 1918

 

 

 

kim-xu art That's Shanghai

‘That’s Shanghai’ – Kim Xu

 

 

illustration-by-george-leonnec-for-la-vie-parisienne november-1922

Illustration by George Leonnec For La Vie Parisienne

November 1922

 

 

king-kong-by-la-boca Art Deco style poster art

King Kong poster – La Boca, UK

 

 

le-paquebot-france-norway antique poster

French Art deco poster

 

 

 

lilian-bond-photo-by-elmer-fryer-1930s

Lilian Bond –  photo by Elmer Fryer

1930s

 

 

vogue-cover-november-1933-poster-print-by-pierre-mourgue-at-the-conde-nast-collection

Vogue Cover Poster Print by Pierre Mourgue at the Condé Nast Collection

  November 1933

 

 

 

nerma-french-cigarettes poster Egyptian Revival

Egyptian Revival ‘Nerma Cigarettes’ poster

 

 

nick-gaetano-dallas-rising - Pegasus and female water bearer

‘Dallas Rising’ – Nick Gaetano

 

 

original-french-beer-scene-poster

La Meuse French beer

 

 

 

rene-gruau-French fashion-illustrator

French fashion illustrator Rene Gruau

 

 

original-vintage-poster-discover-australia-antikbar-1stdibscolletti-gallery

Image by Eileen Mayo (1906-1994) featuring traditional artwork and symbols from the Dreamtime stories of an emu and an Indigenous Aboriginal Australian wearing corroboree head-dress

 

 

peugeot-poster

French Peugeot motorcycle poster

 

 

poster-art French fashion illustrator Rene Gruau

 Illustrator Rene Gruau

 

 

poster-bohemia africanism art deco

Africanism poster

 

 

ramon-casas-barcelona Art Nouveau poster art

Art Nouveau poster – Ramon Casas, Barcelona

 

 

reine-de-joie-a-french-belle-epoque-period-poster-by-toulouse-lautrec-1892-colletti-galler

‘Reine De Joie,’ (queen of joy) – French Belle Époque Period Poster by Toulouse-Lautrec

1892

Colletti Gallery

 

 

retro-posters-robot-by-zoki-cardula

Soviet constructivist style poster with retro robot – Zoki Cardula

 

 

cuba-travel-poster male and female Cubans dancing on a congo drum

Cubano Del Turismo poster

 

 

rare-large-format-art-deco-poster-at-1stdibs

Jean Carlu Art Deco poster of comedienne, Pepa Bonafe, using the image of the two theater masks (comedy and tragedy) and the performer’s profile.

1930

Sarah Stocking Fine Antique Posters

 

 

 

steinlen-motocycles_comiottheophile-alexandre-steinlen-motocycles-comiot

Art Nouveau – Alexandre Steinlen Motocycles Comiot

 

 

twa-las-vegas-poster

TWA travel poster

 

 

1964-soviet-space-propaganda-poster-ussr-is-birthplace-of-cosmonautics

1964 Soviet Space Propaganda Poster: USSR Birthplace Of Cosmonautics

1964

 

 

vanity-fair-cover-july-1927 by William Bolin

Vanity Fair cover – William Bolin

1927

 

 

vespa-vintage-poster

Italian Vespa poster

 

 

cuba-travel-poster

Havana Bistro Cuban poster

Artist Kyla Evans

 

 

issuu-art-deco- favourite-mistress-dodo-burgner

Dodo Burgner ‘Frauchens Liebling’ (Favourite Mistress)

1929

 

 

william-bolin-april-1927 Vogue cover

Vogue cover by  William Bolin

 

 

italian-futurist-period-aviation-poster-by-luigi-martinati-1933-colletti-gallery

Italian Futurist  Aviation Poster by Luigi Martinati

-1933-

Colletti Gallery

 

 

jules_cheret-fete_des_fleursjules-cheret-fete-des-fleurs-in-bagneres-de-luchon

Fine art giclee print of a vintage French travel poster featuring travel to Bagneres de Luchon by Jules Cheret. Celebrated for its total of forty eight thermal springs.

 

 

paul-colin-art-deco-peugeot-poster

Paul Colin art deco Peugeot poster

 

 

Science fiction travel poster

Science Fiction Neptune travel poster

 

 

 

black female silhouette guerlain poster

La Petite Robe Noire Couture Perfume

 

 

 

Fifties travel poster classic design

Retro 50’s poster Spanish designer, Fantastic Hysteria

 

 

 

 

NEXT POST  —  Mother and child sculptures

 

2 Comments

  1. Judith Kuppersmith
    Posted February 3, 2017 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    I loved, loved , loved the posters–what a great collection! What fun to see today
    amidst all the angst of the times. Thank you!

  2. Posted February 3, 2017 at 5:57 pm | Permalink

    Great collection. Fun to look through them.

    Thank you
    Monica van den Berg

One Trackback

  1. By Cruising thru the clayniverse on October 24, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    […] ‘Perusing the poster arts’ […]

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared.