DOI Heft:
No. 41 (August, 1896)
DOI Artikel:White, Gleeson: The posters of Louis Rhead
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17297#0173
The Posters of Louis Rhead
But in their own way, despite a certain stolidity, that the artist who employs them has blundered,
they are by no means unattractive even considered There are many ways of attracting notice, and
apart from their purpose. The secret of the eccentricity is by no means a reprehensible
poster is not one to be hidden, but to be loudly quality in advertising. The difficulty is to be
proclaimed. By well placed readable lettering, eccentric and yet to keep within the bounds of
and large patterns of admirably chosen colour, good taste. But a few years ago the damozel
daring and forcible, Mr. Rhead has achieved a beloved of the Burne-Jones school, would have
wide popularity that is most genuinely deserved, stood no chance of finding favour in the eyes of
For if you set out to advertise certain things for those who advertise. Now, she is the popular
sale, it is no use to do so in a modest retiring heroine of the moment. That she will stay so for
way. Audacity and arrogance befit a placard, and long is neither likely, nor entirely to be desired;
if the man in the street jeers at blue haired maidens, but, inasmuch as the idea which governs Con-
or emerald green skies, do not assume too hastily ventional decoration is thereby advanced a step,
one does not grudge her her hour of
popular applause. For to-day when
the photographer bids fair to infect
the masses with his erroneous belief
that direct imitation is the end of art,
it is good that in ways which appeal
to the million a totally opposite doc-
trine should be preached. To " press
a button " nay ! even to " do the rest "
oneself, is not necessarily to become
the peer of Rembrandt or Titian nor
even of a poster designer. The bold
camera-wielder claims to be the per-
fect draughtsman, he laughs to scorn
the simplified drawing of the decora-
tive school, the while he despises the
stippled finish of the old miniaturist.
As well might a maker of mirrors pro-
claim himself a greater painter than
Reynolds; undoubtedly he reflects
more of the person that gazes into his
looking glasses than any artist ever set
down; neither the fleeting reflection,
nor the image chemically retained,
have ought to do with drawing, and
the ideal they exalt is not one essen-
tially connected with art. Therefore
it is but fair to welcome a designer
who cares not for imitative realism,
but taking quite another ideal, makes
his convention agreeable to the masses,
who now begin to show a wholesome
appreciation of the claims of the
artistic poster.
It seems wise to dwell upon the
quality which appears to be most
meritorious in Mr. Rhead's work,
lest those who do not appreciate it
should criticise the result for the
design for a poster absence of certain attributes, which he
from the original drawing by louis rhead has discarded deliberately (and, as I
J57
But in their own way, despite a certain stolidity, that the artist who employs them has blundered,
they are by no means unattractive even considered There are many ways of attracting notice, and
apart from their purpose. The secret of the eccentricity is by no means a reprehensible
poster is not one to be hidden, but to be loudly quality in advertising. The difficulty is to be
proclaimed. By well placed readable lettering, eccentric and yet to keep within the bounds of
and large patterns of admirably chosen colour, good taste. But a few years ago the damozel
daring and forcible, Mr. Rhead has achieved a beloved of the Burne-Jones school, would have
wide popularity that is most genuinely deserved, stood no chance of finding favour in the eyes of
For if you set out to advertise certain things for those who advertise. Now, she is the popular
sale, it is no use to do so in a modest retiring heroine of the moment. That she will stay so for
way. Audacity and arrogance befit a placard, and long is neither likely, nor entirely to be desired;
if the man in the street jeers at blue haired maidens, but, inasmuch as the idea which governs Con-
or emerald green skies, do not assume too hastily ventional decoration is thereby advanced a step,
one does not grudge her her hour of
popular applause. For to-day when
the photographer bids fair to infect
the masses with his erroneous belief
that direct imitation is the end of art,
it is good that in ways which appeal
to the million a totally opposite doc-
trine should be preached. To " press
a button " nay ! even to " do the rest "
oneself, is not necessarily to become
the peer of Rembrandt or Titian nor
even of a poster designer. The bold
camera-wielder claims to be the per-
fect draughtsman, he laughs to scorn
the simplified drawing of the decora-
tive school, the while he despises the
stippled finish of the old miniaturist.
As well might a maker of mirrors pro-
claim himself a greater painter than
Reynolds; undoubtedly he reflects
more of the person that gazes into his
looking glasses than any artist ever set
down; neither the fleeting reflection,
nor the image chemically retained,
have ought to do with drawing, and
the ideal they exalt is not one essen-
tially connected with art. Therefore
it is but fair to welcome a designer
who cares not for imitative realism,
but taking quite another ideal, makes
his convention agreeable to the masses,
who now begin to show a wholesome
appreciation of the claims of the
artistic poster.
It seems wise to dwell upon the
quality which appears to be most
meritorious in Mr. Rhead's work,
lest those who do not appreciate it
should criticise the result for the
design for a poster absence of certain attributes, which he
from the original drawing by louis rhead has discarded deliberately (and, as I
J57