The “Art Deco” style had its roots in Paris during the early twentieth century. An eclectic style of design that embraced architecture, industrial design, fashion, and culture, this opulent look was embraced by some of the world’s mostly highly renowned designers and was featured at the 1925 exposition, Le Musee des Arts Decoratifs. However, the style was not distinguished from Moderne until the mid 1960s when it was first called Art Deco. Although it reached its peak in Europe during the Roaring Twenties, it was popular in America from 1925 to 1941.
Featuring ornamental geometric designs, bold color, and texture, American Art Deco combined the best of European design with American Indian and Pre-Columbian motifs to create a purely decorative style of its own. The American style of Art Deco radiated strength and beauty during the Great Depression but was scaled down during World War II to reflect a more realistic era. Pockets of influence from Art Deco still remains in Miami and a few other cities throughout the US. With growing interest in graphic design during the 1980s, the style experienced somewhat of a return to favor.
Art Deco was influenced by movements in modern art, such as Futurism, Cubism and Constructivism, as well as by geometric elements from ancient civilizations. Cassandre, its most well known artist, painted graphic scenes of fast-speeding trains and majestic ocean liners that are still recognized as some of the finest works from that period. In fact, posters from the Art Deco era are still referred to as “Cassandre” style. Other well-known artists from the Art Deco period include Seneca and Riccobaldi from Italy, Morach and Matter from Switzerland, Hohlwein and Engelhard from Germany, Hofman from Holland and Gali from Spain.
Today posters from the Art Deco period and those produced in the Art Deco style are valued for their bold design and colorful impact. Prices range from inexpensive to extravagant depending on the age, artist, and quality of the print. For decorating the home or office, reproductions are easily found online at a wide variety of websites. The internet is not only a good place to learn about the variety of styles and the artists, but it, also, provides pressure-free browsing and an opportunity to compare prices and customer reviews.
For example, Allposters.com, one of the most well known online marketplaces for posters, sells over 200 different Art Deco posters by three well-respected artists: Lempicka, Bakst, and Ruhlmann. Prices range from around $20 for an inexpensive print by Lempicka, a female Polish painter who specialized in painting ladies, to around $200 for a Giclee print suitable for museums or galleries. Barewalls.com is another website that sells Art Deco posters, prints, and advertising by Cassandre and four other Art Deco artists. Cassandre’s work itself sells from approximately $50 to over $700. For an additional fee, the posters can be nicely framed.
Regardless of whether the consumer is an art collector who appreciates posters for their timeless beauty and views them as an investment or a loft-dweller who wants to create a sophisticated environment without spending a fortune, there is an Art Deco poster to suit the occasion. All it takes is a little research to fit one’s budget and taste.
