Louis Vuitton Americas Cup Poster
Early 2000s Posters
Linen, Paper
20th Century French Modern Posters
Paper
20th Century French Modern Posters
Paper
1980s 85 New Wave Figurative Prints
Screen
People Also Browsed
Antique Early 19th Century Irish Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
1960s Pop Art More Prints
Offset
20th Century Modern Pottery
Pottery, Stoneware
1990s Contemporary Figurative Prints
Lithograph, Offset, Permanent Marker
1960s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flush Mount
Metal
2010s Pop Art More Prints
Offset
1960s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Offset
1950s Figurative Photography
Archival Pigment
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Revival Wall Lights and Sconces
Alabaster, Bronze
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Ceramic, Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary American American Classical Chandeliers an...
Iron
1990s Italian Art Deco Posters
Linen, Paper
1960s American Modern Portrait Prints
Offset
20th Century French Modern Posters
Paper
Early 2000s Contemporary Nude Photography
Photographic Paper, Archival Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary French Posters
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Posters
Paper
Late 20th Century French Posters
Paper
20th Century French Modern Posters
Paper
Finding the Right posters for You
Add a welcome personal touch to your space and tie your distinctive interior scheme together by introducing antique and vintage posters to any and every room of your home.
In the late 19th century, following the advent of text-heavy posters printed from woodblocks for use in taverns and shop windows, hand-drawn poster art had become commonplace in regions such as France, England and the United States. Well-known illustrators were commissioned to produce decorative posters to advertise political campaigns, theatrical events, books, household goods and other items. Early poster artists used a printmaking technique called lithography, which sees drawings or paintings created on a stone (or metal) surface with an oil-based substance, such as a greasy crayon or tusche (an oily wash). The image is eventually affixed to the surface by means of a chemical reaction, and ink adheres to certain sections of the surface while non–image areas are made to repel the ink.
If you wanted a color lithograph in the early days, the number of stones prepared had to match the number of colors you commissioned for the poster. French painter Jules Chéret, widely known as the father of the modern poster, designed some of history's most popular lithographic posters that featured color. Today, Chéret’s art is highly collectible, along with original works by Czech painter and decorative artist Alphonse Mucha, whose posters advertising theatrical productions helped define Art Nouveau.
Over time, poster artists transitioned to more advanced techniques. Using silkscreens, woodblocks and photolithography, painters and illustrators printed larger quantities at a faster rate.
If you’ve finally tracked down that vintage movie poster, mid-century modern promotional travel poster or other work and you’re looking to find out if it is valuable, distinguishing between an original poster and a reproduction can be complicated. A professional appraiser can work with you on factors such as rarity, assessing the physical condition of your poster and authenticating your piece. For now, take care of your new acquisition because conserving posters is essential in helping them retain their value. A practical conservation method is to have the work mounted on archival, acid-free paper and thin artist’s canvas, then enclosing it in a sturdy frame. (And here is a primer on how to hang wall art, be it arranged gallery-style or otherwise.)
On 1stDibs, find all kinds of posters for your home today.