Mona Lisa Contortionist. Poster advertising Polish circus
Poster
1972 (printed)
1972 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During the 1960s the Polish State Entertainment Agency ZPR (Zjednoczone Przedsiębiorstwa Rozrywkowe) hit on the idea of promoting Polish circus (CYRK) by commissioning posters from a group of leading poster artists including the poster designer and commercial artist Maciej Urbaniec (1925-2004) who studied art in Wroclaw and at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1958. He went on to teach at the Adademy from 1975 until his death, where he had a significant impact on the artists of the third generation (1960s-1980s) of Polish School of Posters.
Many of these Polish circus posters produced by the ZPR featured the word Cyrk in eye-catching graphics, such as here in centre of the curtain swag framing the top of the poster. The circus posters were not intended as advertisements for specific performances or companies but as works of poster art that conjured the spirit of Polish circus. Brilliantly designed, rich in fantasy and humour, these posters were soon appreciated within Poland and abroad as collectable items, and have since featured in many exhibitions of poster art throughout the world
Many of these Polish circus posters produced by the ZPR featured the word Cyrk in eye-catching graphics, such as here in centre of the curtain swag framing the top of the poster. The circus posters were not intended as advertisements for specific performances or companies but as works of poster art that conjured the spirit of Polish circus. Brilliantly designed, rich in fantasy and humour, these posters were soon appreciated within Poland and abroad as collectable items, and have since featured in many exhibitions of poster art throughout the world
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mona Lisa Contortionist. Poster advertising Polish circus (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printing ink on paper |
| Brief description | Poster advertising Polish circus, 1972. Colour lithograph by Maciej Urbaniec (1925-2004) |
| Physical description | Pictorial poster advertising Polish circus illustrated with an image of a leotard-wearing female contortionist with the head of Mona Lisa, resting on her folded arms on a low tripod table. Printed in brown, red, green and pink on white paper |
| Summary | During the 1960s the Polish State Entertainment Agency ZPR (Zjednoczone Przedsiębiorstwa Rozrywkowe) hit on the idea of promoting Polish circus (CYRK) by commissioning posters from a group of leading poster artists including the poster designer and commercial artist Maciej Urbaniec (1925-2004) who studied art in Wroclaw and at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1958. He went on to teach at the Adademy from 1975 until his death, where he had a significant impact on the artists of the third generation (1960s-1980s) of Polish School of Posters. Many of these Polish circus posters produced by the ZPR featured the word Cyrk in eye-catching graphics, such as here in centre of the curtain swag framing the top of the poster. The circus posters were not intended as advertisements for specific performances or companies but as works of poster art that conjured the spirit of Polish circus. Brilliantly designed, rich in fantasy and humour, these posters were soon appreciated within Poland and abroad as collectable items, and have since featured in many exhibitions of poster art throughout the world |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.3803-1995 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2021 |
| Record URL |
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