Five-Legged Skater. Poster advertising Polish circus
Poster
1967 (printed)
1967 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During the 1960s the Polish State Entertainment Agency (ZPR) hit on the idea of promoting Polish circus (CYRK) by commissioning posters from a group of leading poster artists, including the graphic artist and poster designer Witold Janowski (1926-2006). Born in Warsaw, Janowski graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Warsaw in 1953. He also studied at the Poznan Academy of Fine Arts, where he graduated in 1971, and went on to teach at the Gdansk Academy of Fine Arts between 1971 and 1990, and to produce prize-winning posters.
Many of the Polish circus posters produced by the ZPR featured the word Cyrk in eye-catching graphics. These 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 world-wide.
Many of the Polish circus posters produced by the ZPR featured the word Cyrk in eye-catching graphics. These 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 world-wide.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Five-Legged Skater. Poster advertising Polish circus (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printing ink on paper |
| Brief description | Poster advertising Polish circus, 1967. Colour lithograph by Witold Janowski (1926-2006) |
| Physical description | Pictorial poster advertising Polish circus, illustrated with an image of a five-legged clown on roller skates. He wears a conical hat, a striped tie and white gloves. Printed in red, blue, yellow and black on white paper. |
| Dimensions |
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| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | During the 1960s the Polish State Entertainment Agency (ZPR) hit on the idea of promoting Polish circus (CYRK) by commissioning posters from a group of leading poster artists, including the graphic artist and poster designer Witold Janowski (1926-2006). Born in Warsaw, Janowski graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Warsaw in 1953. He also studied at the Poznan Academy of Fine Arts, where he graduated in 1971, and went on to teach at the Gdansk Academy of Fine Arts between 1971 and 1990, and to produce prize-winning posters. Many of the Polish circus posters produced by the ZPR featured the word Cyrk in eye-catching graphics. These 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 world-wide. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.244-2021 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2021 |
| Record URL |
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