Moulin Rouge, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1891)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator. As an artist he made many strides in the Art Nouveau movement. The “Moulin Rouge” piece stood out to me the most out of his work, because of it’s sharp figures and strong use of color.Throughout his life Lautrec traveled through France depicting the nightlife of mostly Paris. Lautrec’s most influential medium was in his commercial advertising, and events in theatre. Some of the movement’s pieces were influenced by Japanese art forms and woodblock prints. Lautrec was influenced by the japanese woodblock, creating contrast with sharp lines and even exploring new forms of typography that was fairly new for the time. He furthered the possibilities of poster arts through his use of color and typography. The fun vibrant setting shown through the people dancing is used to spark the audience’s attention, which is does for me.
Dylan, Milton Glaser (1966)
Milton Glaser (1929-Present) is an American graphic designer who was responsible for creating the I <3 New York Logo and many other logo pieces but for my comparison I am more interested in his advertisement for Bob Dylan. In this piece “which became an icon for the 1960’s experience, brought psychedelic language to mainstream America” (Guide to Graphic Design, 64). Through the piece he created a state of mind, with just the color and line. “The contrast of vivid colors with the dark silhouetted profile reflects Glaser’s response to the Modernist “Less is more” dictum: “Just enough is more.” (Smithsonian, Sign of the Times, Edwards, 1)
The rise of rock ’n’ roll in the 1960s, generated a particular genre of poster art similar to the rise of poster artwork in the Art Nouveau era of the early 19th Century. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Milton Glaser works share a similar style in color and emphasis on the figure. Glaser said he “was interested in Art Nouveau at the time”. “That was an influence for the colors and shapes in the picture.” Glaser’s piece depicting Bob Dylan with kaleidoscopic hair, has been described as “psychedelic” and is often associated with rock posters. Lautrec’s most influential medium was in his commercial advertising, promoting scenes and events in theatre within the arts much like Glaser’s promotion for Dylan.
Dylan, Milton Glaser, 1966
Moulin Rouge, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1891)