Cinderella, Drury Lane
Poster
1896 (made)
1896 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
People
Dudley Hardy made his name originally as a painter and illustrator. His bold venture into poster design in the 1890s gave him scope for all sorts of unconventional ideas. Although he was influenced by designers of the French 'artistic' poster, such as Jules Cheret, he developed a characteristically English approach with his simplified style and integrated lettering. After his initial success with a poster nicknamed 'The Yellow Girl', advertising the To-Day magazine, many of his earliest posters were commissioned for theatrical productions by the well-known firm of publishers Waterlow & Sons.
Design & Designing
Hardy gave his views on design in an interview with the same magazine in December 1899: 'both from the artistic and commercial point of view, [posters] should be as simple and striking as possibly; very little background, very little detail, a bold, striking line which will arrest the eye of the passer-by.'
Subjects Depicted
Poster Magazine in 1898 criticised the pantomime poster for mostly remaining 'high and dry on its island of vulgarity', with lurid colour and lack of artistic quality. This poster, for the 1896 pantomime Cinderella has an economy and grace that defies that viewpoint and demonstrates why the same magazine praised the clarity of outline and colour schemes in Hardy’s work and described him as a pioneer of the 'artistic' poster.
Dudley Hardy made his name originally as a painter and illustrator. His bold venture into poster design in the 1890s gave him scope for all sorts of unconventional ideas. Although he was influenced by designers of the French 'artistic' poster, such as Jules Cheret, he developed a characteristically English approach with his simplified style and integrated lettering. After his initial success with a poster nicknamed 'The Yellow Girl', advertising the To-Day magazine, many of his earliest posters were commissioned for theatrical productions by the well-known firm of publishers Waterlow & Sons.
Design & Designing
Hardy gave his views on design in an interview with the same magazine in December 1899: 'both from the artistic and commercial point of view, [posters] should be as simple and striking as possibly; very little background, very little detail, a bold, striking line which will arrest the eye of the passer-by.'
Subjects Depicted
Poster Magazine in 1898 criticised the pantomime poster for mostly remaining 'high and dry on its island of vulgarity', with lurid colour and lack of artistic quality. This poster, for the 1896 pantomime Cinderella has an economy and grace that defies that viewpoint and demonstrates why the same magazine praised the clarity of outline and colour schemes in Hardy’s work and described him as a pioneer of the 'artistic' poster.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Cinderella, Drury Lane (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | colour lithography |
| Brief description | 'Cinderella, Drury Lane'. Colour lithograph poster advertising a performance of the pantomime at the Drury Lane Theatre, London. England. 1896. |
| Physical description | 'Cinderella, Drury Lane'. Colour lithograph poster advertising a performance of the pantomime at the Drury Lane Theatre, London. The design shows Cinderella in a white dress, with white powdered hair, arriving at the ball. She is climbing red carpeted stairs and a footman at the top is popinting to his left. Three footmen in the foreground are bowing as she passes. The wall is yellow and green. The text is in a beige border around the image. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
The designer Dudley Hardy was known as a poster pioneer. He believed that a poster should be simple, with little background and detail, with a 'bold, striking line' to catch the eye. Bold outlines and strong colours typify his work.(2010) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs J.T. Clarke |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | People Dudley Hardy made his name originally as a painter and illustrator. His bold venture into poster design in the 1890s gave him scope for all sorts of unconventional ideas. Although he was influenced by designers of the French 'artistic' poster, such as Jules Cheret, he developed a characteristically English approach with his simplified style and integrated lettering. After his initial success with a poster nicknamed 'The Yellow Girl', advertising the To-Day magazine, many of his earliest posters were commissioned for theatrical productions by the well-known firm of publishers Waterlow & Sons. Design & Designing Hardy gave his views on design in an interview with the same magazine in December 1899: 'both from the artistic and commercial point of view, [posters] should be as simple and striking as possibly; very little background, very little detail, a bold, striking line which will arrest the eye of the passer-by.' Subjects Depicted Poster Magazine in 1898 criticised the pantomime poster for mostly remaining 'high and dry on its island of vulgarity', with lurid colour and lack of artistic quality. This poster, for the 1896 pantomime Cinderella has an economy and grace that defies that viewpoint and demonstrates why the same magazine praised the clarity of outline and colour schemes in Hardy’s work and described him as a pioneer of the 'artistic' poster. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 17/B3 - V&A microfiche |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.387-1921 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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