FREE ESSAY ON POSTERS OF THE 1890'S

POSTERS OF THE 1890'S

The 1890's was the beginning of the first poster graphics. Not only have these posters
been seen as advertisements but they are also looked upon as works of art. Two excellent
examples of different work done during this period are Alphonse Mucha's Lorenzaccio
(1898) and Henri Toulouse- Lautrec's Jardin de Paris (1893). Each poster is equally
exquisite in it's line, style, color, composition, and perspective.
Alphonse Mucha was born in 1860 and traveled to Paris in 1890. He designed posters in the
fashionable Byzantine style of ornamentation. In Mucha's Lorenzaccio this can clearly be
seen. The poster is a cropped image in the vertical pillar style with elaborate
ornamentation through out. There is written word on the top and bottom as typical of many
of his works. By the writing around the figure we can see that the poster was intended to
be made for Sarah Bernhardt. 
The poster exhibits intricate, flowing line with sharp outlines. The active, curvilinear
line dominates the picture. It's dramatic, decorative design can be seen through the
dragon that looks straight into our eyes. There are distinct monochromatic colors of
green, brown and red. Lorenzaccio is a heavily detailed, two dimensional poster with no
middle ground. The subject is off in thought in the poster. The clothing she is wearing
particularly adds to the active line. The background is extremely decorative. Altogether
the poster is created with a compartmentalized composition.
I would characterize Mucha's work in the Art Nouveau style because of his use of
decorative style with simplified forms. His sharp, curvilinear line; full color tones,
and Cloisonisme composition add to the stylistic qualities.
However, I believe that Henri Toulouse- Lautrec's Jardin de Paris is especially well
designed as the use of a poster and work of art. I prefer this poster better because of
its different approach to advertising in a clear, eye catching way, and its use of
distortion for effect. Much of Lautrec's style comes from Cheret from the English Arts
and Crafts movement. The impact of Lautrec's work can also be seen through other artists
as Pablo Picasso in his The Blue Room (1901). 
His subject, which he used many times in his work, is Jane Avril. In this poster we see
her as the orchestra member would. Lautrec creates her as a broad silhouette with a face
that looks tired and unhappy. Jardin de Paris is unique in that the flowing form of the
orchestra member brings us up to the picture where the distinct color is used on the
dancer. Lautrec uses bright red and yellow to accentuate her, and uses gray and black for
the rest of the composition. 
He uses simplified forms with distinct, dark outlines. In this work, like Mucha's, there
are two dimensional, Cloisonisme qualities created in a vertical pillar form. The
asymmetrical objects help to create the foreground/ background qualities. 
The instrument works as a carrier for our eyes to move back and forth from the foreground
and background. The orchestra member also creates an exiting picture frame around Jane
Avril. The use of angular lines draw the viewers eye to and fro. This can be seen in the
angle of the instrument, the backstage, and particularly how the dancer's is bent.
Altogether this is a very bold and striking work. I believe Jardin de Paris to be from
the English Arts and Crafts movement because of its emphasis on flat figures, simplified
forms and sharp outlines. Both posters exhibit stylistic qualities from both the English
Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau and a little Japonisme.