Pictorial Modernism: The Foundation of Simplicity in Design

Poster designers of the early twentieth century were very aware of the need to maintain a pictorial reference. Their main objective was to communicate with the general public, and “they walked a tightrope between the desire for expressive and symbolic images n the one had and concern for the total visual organization of the picture plane on the other” (Meggs 276). This combination, in my opinion, proved to produce interesting poster designs with a modern look.

A new style of design emerged. Plakatstil poster style emerged in Germany in the early 20^th century. It consisted of reductive, flat colors. Also, they used bold lettering, a simple central image, and distinctive, eye-catching colors.  Plakatstil was “a universal style without direct links to any specific school or artistic movement” (Plakatstil 1). I believe that the Beggarstaffs and Lucian Bernhard can be given much credit as to being part of the foundation of this new style of poster design.

The Beggarstaffs, British painters James Pryde (1866-1941) and William Nicholson (1872-1949) had a brief yet recognizable career during this period of pictorial modernism. They decided to open an advertising design studio in 1984. They created a new technique of moving around cut pieces of paper and pasting them into a position on a board. This technique was later called collage. However, their advertising studio proved unsuccessful, as they only attracted a few clients. Below, is the Beggarstaff’s poster for Kassama corn flour, 1894. This was one of their earliest posters, which firmly established thieir straightforward style. Below this poster is their poster for Harper’s Magazine, 1895. This poster is meant to bring closure to the viewer by combining the pieces and shapes into a symbolic image. 

The Beggarstaffs, poster for Kassama corn flour, 1894

The Beggarstaffs, poster for Harper's Magazine, 1895

Lucian Bernhard (1883-1972) was another artist who added to the simplicity of poster designs during this period. Bernhard entered a poster contest for Priest matches, after his career in poetry was unsuccessful.  He first painted two matches on a round table, and thought that it looked too bare. So he added ladies and a cigar, but thought that it was too much. In a rush, he painted over the excess designs, kept the matches on the poster and painted “Priester” across the top. Berhard’s first attempt at poster design had won the contest. Below, is Bernhard’s poster for Priest matches, c. 1905.  “Color became the means of projecting a powerful message with minimal information” (Meggs 279). Bernhard stuck with the trend when he created his poster for Manoli Cigarets, 1910. He uses a similar layout and design as he did with the Priester poster.

Lucian Bernhard, poster for Priester matches, c. 1905

Lucian Bernhard, poster for Manoli Cigarets, 1910

Little did he know, Bernhard “had moved graphic communications one step further in the simplification and reduction of naturalism into a visual language of shape and design” (Meggs 279).  He emphasized reduction, minimalist form, and simplicity. “Bernhard was a pivotal designer… His work might be considered the logical conclusion of the turn-of-the-century poster movement” (Meggs 280).

Works Cited

Bernhard, Lucian. Poster for Priester Matches. Digital image. Csun.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. <http://www.csun.edu/~pjd77408/DrD/Art461/LecturesAll/Lectures/Lecture06/Plakastil.html>.

Meggs, Philip B., and Alston W. Purvis. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. Hoboken: J. Wiley & Sons, 2005. Print.

"Plakatstil." Csun.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014

<http://www.csun.edu/~pjd77408/DrD/Art461/LecturesAll/Lectures/Lecture06/Plakastil.html>.

The Beggarstaffs. Poster for Kassama Corn Flour. Digital image. Csun.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. <http://www.csun.edu/~pjd77408/DrD/Art461/LecturesAll/Lectures/Lecture06/Plakastil.html>.

The Beggarstaffs. Poster for Harper’s Magazine. Digital image. Csun.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. <http://www.csun.edu/~pjd77408/DrD/Art461/LecturesAll/Lectures/Lecture06/Plakastil.html>.