1940s Prints and Multiples

Original vintage post-WWII railway travel poster for Bastogne Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges / Belgian National Railway Company. Colourful illustration of a discarded German Nazi...

Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Square Head of a Woman Half Smiling (Plate XII) Portfolio: Carmen Medium: Original etching on Montval wove paper Year: 1949 Edition: 289 Frame Size: 21" ...

Original vintage World War Two propaganda poster - The Gloucesters, a famous regiment from Great Britain, raided Letpadan and drove the Japanese from the town, inflicting heavy casua...

This impression (after the original woodcut) was printed on japon paper in 1943 in an edition of 250, and is one of Gauguin's beautiful Tahiti compositions. Image size: 6 1/4 x 12 in...

Ex-Libris Cerrit Sanders is an Artwork realized in 1945, by Jan Van Heugten. Woodcut print on paper. The work is glued on cardboard and signed on plate on the back. Total dimensi...

Lynd Ward, 'Priests' from the series 'Moriae Encomium (The Praise of Folly)', mezzotint, 1943, no edition, proofs only. Signed in pencil. A superb, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (1 1/4 to 2 inches) in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Scarce. Image size 7 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches (197 x 121 mm); sheet size 10 11/16 x 8 1/16 inches (271 x 204 mm). Created by the artist for 'Erasmus's Moriae Encomium,' or 'In Praise of Folly,' published by the Limited Editions Club, 1943. A rare, signed, proof impression apart from the Limited Editions Club publication. ABOUT THE ARTIST Lynd Ward is acknowledged as one of America’s foremost wood engravers and book illustrators of the first half of the twentieth century. His innovative use of narrative printmaking as a stand-alone storytelling vehicle was uniquely successful in reaching a broad audience. The powerful psychological intensity of his work, celebrated for its dynamic design, technical precision, and compelling dramatic content, finds resonance in the literature of Poe, Melville, and Hawthorne. Like these classic American writers, Ward was concerned with the themes of man’s inner struggles and the role of the subconscious in determining his destiny. An artist of social conscience during the Great Depression and World War II, he infused his graphic images with his unique brand of social realism, deftly portraying the problems that challenged the ideals of American society. The son of a Methodist preacher, Lynd Ward, moved from Chicago to Massachusetts at an early age. He graduated from the Teachers College of Columbia University, New York, in 1926, where he studied illustration and graphic arts. He married May Yonge McNeer in 1936 and left for Europe for their honeymoon in Eastern Europe. After four months, they settled in Leipzig, where Ward studied at the National Academy of Graphic Arts and Bookmaking. Inspired by Belgian expressionist artist Frans Masereel's graphic novel ‘The Sun,’ and another graphic novel by the German artist Otto Nückel, ‘Destiny,’ he determined to create his own "wordless" novel. Upon his return to America, Ward completed his first book, ‘God's Man: A Novel in Woodcuts,’ published in 1929. ‘Gods’ Man’ was a great success for its author and publisher and was reprinted four times in 1930, including a British edition. This book and several which followed it, ‘Madman’s Drum,’ 1930, ‘Wild Pilgrimage,’ 1932, ‘Prelude to a Million Years,’ 1933, ‘Song Without Words,' 1936, ‘Vertigo,’ 1937; and ‘Last Unfinished Wordless Novel’ (created in the 1960s and published in 2001) were comprised solely of Ward's wood engravings. Ward designed each graphic image to occupy an entire page, the sequence of which conveys the story's narrative. In 1937, Ward was named Director of the Graphic Arts Division of the Federal Art Project, a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In the following years, Ward went on to illustrate more than one hundred books (some of which he wrote), including classics for the Limited Editions Club Goethe’s ‘Faust,’ Faulkner’s ‘A Green Bough,’ and Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein,’ and several children’s books. He also produced single-subject wood engravings, paintings, and drawings. His print ‘Sanctuary,’ 1939, was shown at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and ‘Clouded Over,’ 1948, received the 1948 Library of Congress Award and was included in ‘American Prize Prints of the 20th Century’ by Albert Reese. He received the National Academy of Design Print Award (1949), the New York Times Best Illustrated Award (1973), and the Regina Award (Catholic Library Association, 1975). ‘The Biggest Bear,’ a children’s book with illustrations by Ward, was the recipient of the esteemed 1952 Caldecott Medal of the American Library Association. An Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, Ward was a member and board member of the National Academy of Design and the Artists’ League of America. He served several terms as president of the Society of American Graphic Artists and was a member of the American Artists Congress and the Society of Illustrators. Ward exhibited at the American Artists Congress; the National Academy of Design; the John Herron Art Institute; and the Library of Congress. He had a one-person show at Associated American Artists, NY, on the publication of his monograph 'Storyteller Without Words,' 1974; AAA mounted a memorial exhibition in 1986. The May 1976 issue of 'Bibliognost,' a book collector’s publication, was dedicated to Ward. ‘Lynd Ward, His Bookplate Designs,’ an article by Dan Burne Jones, was published in the American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers Yearbook, 1981/82. In 2001, sixteen years after his death, Rutgers University Libraries published ’Lynd Ward’s Last Unfinished Wordless Novel.’ The blocks were intended to be part of a novel in woodcuts, the first since Vertigo, but Ward did not live to complete the project. Master printer and book designer Barbara Henry collated and printed the twenty-six finished blocks out of the forty-four initially planned for the still unnamed narrative. In 2010 the Library of America honored Ward’s achievements with the meticulous production of a collection of Ward’s woodcut novels—the first time the Library had gone wordless. The publication replicated his original editions with a single full-size image printed on the right page of each double-page spread. In his introduction to the books, renowned cartoonist/illustrator Art...

Medium: pochoir (after the lithograph). Printed in New York by Esther Gentle and published in 1947 for a portfolio issued by the Museum of Modern Art in an edition of 2000. The image...

Benton Spruance, 'Havoc in Heaven', lithograph, 1948, edition 30-35, Fine and Looney 270. Signed, titled, and numbered 'Ed 35' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower right. Printed...

Faces is a linocut print realized by Mino Maccari in the 1940s. 50 x 30 cm. Handisigned in the lower right part. Edition of 12 copies. Reference; Cat. Meloni , pag 367, n.1741. ...

A beautiful poster made in 1947 by Guy Arnoux 🇫🇷 (1886-1951), a famous French illustrator and graphic designer. During his career he was interested in various fields of decorative...

Medium: pochoir (after the watercolor). Printed in New York by Esther Gentle and published in 1947 for a portfolio issued by the Museum of Modern Art in an edition of 2000. The image...

Medium: original etching. Printed in 1946 at the atelier Quesneville on BFK Rives paper and published in a limited edition of 300 for the "Alternance"...

Advertising poster, realized by Aljanvic in 1948, for the Phillips brand. Koninklijke Philips N.V., better known as the Philips company, is a Dutch electronics company based in Amst...

Original, Stop, Loose Talk to Strangers. ‘Enemy ears are alert’ vintage poster. Excellent condition, linen-backed WWII vintage war poster: STOP LOOSE TALK TO STRANGERS ENEMY EAR...

Original vintage World War Two poster - Hands off Europe / Handen weg! Europa - featuring a dramatic illustration depicting a giant hand grasping at the map of Europe defending itsel...

Bondage is a beautiful black and white linocut on paper, realized in 1945 by the Italian artist, Mino Maccari. Hand-signed as "Jean Barbe" and numbered in pencil on lower margin. Ed...

Ex Libris W.G.Zwolle is an Artwork realized in 1940. Woodcut B./W. print on ivory paper. The work is glued on cardboard. Total dimensions: 20 x 14 cm. Good conditions. The artwo...

'The Lamentation', lithograph, 1941, edition 35, Fine and Looney 198. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Ed 35' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower ri...

A wonderful vintage poster made in the 1940's to encourage the population to join the French Navy. It shows a sailor standing at attention, protecting a maritime map of southern Europe...

Flag Raising in Leroy Street. Lithograph. 320x245 mm; 12 5/8x9 5/8 inches. Edition of 25. Signed, titled, dated and inscribed "Ed. 25" in pencil, lower ma...

"Homme de L'Ouanergui Portant le Tabban" translated to "Man of The Ouanergui Carrying the Tabbane" is plate number 25 in Jean Besancenot's stunning por...

Beautiful poster of the second world war executed under the German occupation by the G.P.R.F. Is represented a sculpted work of François Rude (1784-1855) at the Arc de Triomphe of Pa...

To see our other original vintage propaganda posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot fin...

Ex Libris - Adeline De Jonghe is a Modern Artwork realized in 1945 s.. B/W woodcut on paper. The work is glued on cardboard. Total dimensions: 20x 15...

A true masterpiece that makes you travel in a glance and that we are proud to present to you! Lucien Boucher 🇫🇷 (1889 - 1971) is a painter, engraver, poster artist and draughtsman who marked his time. He began by studying ceramics at the School of Sevres before being sent to the front in 1914. He was taken prisoner, and that's when he started to draw. First hired as a caricaturist by the weekly humoristic magazine "Le Rire", he will end up designing posters and flyers for Air France. This fantastic work of Lucien Boucher represents, a mythical phoenix flying in front of an Air France plane on a map of Asia marked by pagoda palaces and minarets, an Asian sailboat at sea and the snow topped by Mount...

A sublime poster steeped in history. Maurice Pineau created this work to promote the F.F.I exhibition held at the Berlitz Palace in 1944. The Forces françaises de l'intérieur (FFI)...

Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Round Head of a Man with Mismatched Eyes (Plate XVI) Portfolio: Carmen Medium: Etching on Montval wove paper Year: 1949 Edition: 289 Frame Size: 21" x 18...

Robert Vale Faro, 'Bird Dog', color lithograph with relief collagraph, 1946, edition 14. Signed, dated, titled, and numbered '123' (the artist's inventory number) and '12/14' in pen. A fine impression, with fresh colors, on heavy, cream, wove paper; the full sheet with margins(1 3/4 to 3 1/2 inches), in excellent condition. Scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 10 1/8 x 6 7/8 inches (257 x 174 mm); sheet size 17 x 11 7/16 inches (432 x 291 mm). A collagraph is a relief print made from a collage of various materials adhered to a metal, plastic, hardboard, or other type of ground plate. In this work, the artist appears to have combined a lithograph with a collagraph to achieve the intricately textured image. ABOUT THE ARTIST Robert Vale Faro (1902-1988) was a well-known modernist architect and artist associated with the Chicago Bauhaus. He received his degree in architecture and design from the Armour Institute in Chicago and worked at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, from 1924-27, where he was influenced by Harry Kurt Bieg and Le Corbusier. Upon his return to Chicago, Faro worked with the important modernist Chicago architects George and William Keck under Louis Sullivan. Faro founded the avant-garde printmaking group Vanguard in 1945. The group counted Atelier 17 artists Stanley William Hayter, Sue Fuller, and Anne Ryan as New York members and Francine Felsenthal of Chicago. The Brooklyn Museum mounted a show of Vanguard artists' work in 1946, which subsequently toured several other institutions in the United States. Faro's visionary graphics from the 1940s are a sophisticated blend of Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism, and Indian Space...

Faces is an linocut realized by Mino Maccari in the 1940s. 50 x 30 cm. Handisigned in the lower right part. Edition of 12 copies. Reference; Cat. Meloni , pag 367, n.1741. Good c...

Medium: lithograph with pochoir coloring (after the 1883 watercolor). Printed in 1948 on Johannot paper for the rare "Seize Aquarelles et Sanguines de Renoir" portfolio and published...

A very good impression of this lithograph with strong colors. Second state (of 2). Signed and numbered 19/160 in pencil, lower left.

Faces is a linocut realized by Mino Maccari in the 1940s. 50 x 30 cm. Handisigned in the lower right part. Edition of 12 copies. Reference; Cat. Meloni , pag 367, n.1741. Good co...

Lynd Ward, 'Doctor' from the series 'Moriae Encomium (In Praise of Folly),' mezzotint, 1943, no edition, proofs only. Signed in pencil. A superb, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (1 to 1 3/4 inches) in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Scarce. Image size 7 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches (197 x 121 mm); sheet size 10 11/16 x 8 1/16 inches (271 x 204 mm). Created by the artist for 'Erasmus's Moriae Encomium,' or 'In Praise of Folly,' published by the Limited Editions Club, 1943. A rare, signed, proof impression apart from the Limited Editions Club publication. ABOUT THE ARTIST Lynd Ward is acknowledged as one of America’s foremost wood engravers and book illustrators of the first half of the twentieth century. His innovative use of narrative printmaking as a stand-alone storytelling vehicle was uniquely successful in reaching a broad audience. The powerful psychological intensity of his work, celebrated for its dynamic design, technical precision, and compelling dramatic content, finds resonance in the literature of Poe, Melville, and Hawthorne. Like these classic American writers, Ward was concerned with the themes of man’s inner struggles and the role of the subconscious in determining his destiny. An artist of social conscience during the Great Depression and World War II, he infused his graphic images with his unique brand of social realism, deftly portraying the problems that challenged the ideals of American society. The son of a Methodist preacher, Lynd Ward, moved from Chicago to Massachusetts at an early age. He graduated from the Teachers College of Columbia University, New York, in 1926, where he studied illustration and graphic arts. He married May Yonge McNeer in 1936 and left for Europe for their honeymoon in Eastern Europe. After four months, they settled in Leipzig, where Ward studied at the National Academy of Graphic Arts and Bookmaking. Inspired by Belgian expressionist artist Frans Masereel's graphic novel ‘The Sun,’ and another graphic novel by the German artist Otto Nückel, ‘Destiny,’ he determined to create his own "wordless" novel. Upon his return to America, Ward completed his first book, ‘God's Man: A Novel in Woodcuts,’ published in 1929. ‘Gods’ Man’ was a great success for its author and publisher and was reprinted four times in 1930, including a British edition. This book and several which followed it, ‘Madman’s Drum,’ 1930, ‘Wild Pilgrimage,’ 1932, ‘Prelude to a Million Years,’ 1933, ‘Song Without Words,' 1936, ‘Vertigo,’ 1937; and ‘Last Unfinished Wordless Novel’ (created in the 1960s and published in 2001) were comprised solely of Ward's wood engravings. Ward designed each graphic image to occupy an entire page, the sequence of which conveys the story's narrative. In 1937, Ward was named Director of the Graphic Arts Division of the Federal Art Project, a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In the following years, Ward went on to illustrate more than one hundred books (some of which he wrote), including classics for the Limited Editions Club Goethe’s ‘Faust,’ Faulkner’s ‘A Green Bough,’ and Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein,’ and several children’s books. He also produced single-subject wood engravings, paintings, and drawings. His print ‘Sanctuary,’ 1939, was shown at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and ‘Clouded Over,’ 1948, received the 1948 Library of Congress Award and was included in ‘American Prize Prints of the 20th Century’ by Albert Reese. He received the National Academy of Design Print Award (1949), the New York Times Best Illustrated Award (1973), and the Regina Award (Catholic Library Association, 1975). ‘The Biggest Bear,’ a children’s book with illustrations by Ward, was the recipient of the esteemed 1952 Caldecott Medal of the American Library Association. An Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, Ward was a member and board member of the National Academy of Design and the Artists’ League of America. He served several terms as president of the Society of American Graphic Artists and was a member of the American Artists Congress and the Society of Illustrators. Ward exhibited at the American Artists Congress; the National Academy of Design; the John Herron Art Institute; and the Library of Congress. He had a one-person show at Associated American Artists, NY, on the publication of his monograph 'Storyteller Without Words,' 1974; AAA mounted a memorial exhibition in 1986. The May 1976 issue of 'Bibliognost,' a book collector’s publication, was dedicated to Ward. ‘Lynd Ward, His Bookplate Designs,’ an article by Dan Burne Jones, was published in the American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers Yearbook, 1981/82. In 2001, sixteen years after his death, Rutgers University Libraries published ’Lynd Ward’s Last Unfinished Wordless Novel.’ The blocks were intended to be part of a novel in woodcuts, the first since Vertigo, but Ward did not live to complete the project. Master printer and book designer Barbara Henry collated and printed the twenty-six finished blocks out of the forty-four initially planned for the still unnamed narrative. In 2010 the Library of America honored Ward’s achievements with the meticulous production of a collection of Ward’s woodcut novels—the first time the Library had gone wordless. The publication replicated his original editions with a single full-size image printed on the right page of each double-page spread. In his introduction to the books, renowned cartoonist/illustrator Art...

Medium: offset lithograph (after the Rodin watercolor). Printed in 1945 on Vélin de Lana paper and published by the Musée Rodin in an edition of 2500. Size: 9 1/2 x 7 3/8 inches (242...

The Walls of Jericho." This is an original 1948 half-sheet movie poster for the film " The poster features a striking image of Cornel Wilde and Linda Darnell in battle and has been ...

Original vintage Soviet World War Two period propaganda poster - We will expose and destroy the provocateurs and spreaders of panicking rumours / Разоблачим и уничтожим провокаторов ...

Faces is a linocut realized by Mino Maccari in the 1940s. 50 x 30 cm. Handisigned in the lower right part. Edition of 12 copies. Reference; Cat. Meloni , pag 367, n.1741. Good c...

"Femme de Tiznit Portant L'Amendil" translated to "Woman of Tiznit Wearing the Amendil" is plate number 47 in Jean Besancenot's stunning portraits and ...

Medium: heliogravure (after the etching from Goya's Tauromaquia series). Printed in 1947 in a limited edition of 500 on Guarro laid paper, and published in Barcelona by Ediciones Ome...

Ex Libris - Ibuena Caza! Carlos F Porter is a Modern Artwork realized in 1949. B/W woodcut on ivory paper. The work is glued on cardboard. Total dimensions: 21x 15 cm. Excelle...

A nice poster made by Jean Tillaud in 1945 to promote the Quinzaine de la Communauté Française. During this event, the diversity of the colonial world was presented to French youth t...

Original vintage World War Two propaganda poster - Help Britain Finish the Job! - featuring dynamic artwork depicting a warship at sea crashing through waves towards the viewer and s...

Figures is an Etching realized by Mino Maccari in the 1940s. Hand-signed in the lower right part. Artist's Proof. Good conditions. Mino Maccari (Siena, ...

This impression (after the original woodcut) was printed on japon paper in 1943 in an edition of 250, and is one of Gauguin's beautiful Tahiti compositions. Image size: 5 1/2 x 8 3/4...

The English title is "Woman of Royal Blood". This impression (after the original woodcut) was printed on japon paper in 1943 in an edition of 250, and is one of Gauguin's beautiful T...

Medium: lithograph with pochoir coloring (after the 1895 drawing in sanguine). Printed in 1948 on Johannot paper for the rare "Seize Aquarelles et Sanguines de Renoir" portfolio and ...

A very nice and rare poster, made by Paul Ordner 🇫🇷 (1901-1969) a French illustrator and press cartoonist, for the Radical Party in 1945. The Radical Party is a French political p...

Original vintage World War Two poster by the notable British cartoonist and illustrator Fougasse (Cyril Kenneth Bird; 1887-1965) from the popular and iconic Careless Talk Costs Lives wartime propaganda series issued by the Ministry of Information - but for Heaven's sake don't say I told you! - featuring an image of a person wearing a coat and hat, talking on the phone in a traditional English red telephone...

Medium: heliogravure (after the etching from Goya's Tauromaquia series). Printed in 1947 in a limited edition of 500 on Guarro laid paper, and published in Barcelona by Ediciones Ome...

Beautiful poster of Emil Bon for the Algerian railroads, towards the Sahara passing by the famous canyon of El Kantara. El Kantara is a town and commune in the province of Biskra, Al...

A beautiful poster made by George Moschos 🇬🇷 (1906-1990). Andros is the second largest island after Naxos. It is also the northernmost island of the Cyclades and is only 2 hours b...

Nice political poster of the R.P.F. (Rassemblement du Peuple Français) from 1947. Charles de Gaulle, born on November 22, 1890 and died on November ...

A fine impression with full margins with minor discolouration published by Associated American Artists with their information label attached.

Beautiful Italian travel poster for the city of Venice, the Basilica of San Marco and the Ducal Palace. The ENIT, the Italian national tourism agency, is in charge of the tourist pro...

Faces is a linocut realized by Mino Maccari in the 1940s. 50 x 30 cm. Handisigned in the lower right part. Edition of 12 copies. Reference; Cat. Meloni , pag 367, n.1741. Good c...

Medium: lithograph with pochoir coloring (after the 1895 drawing in sanguine). Printed in 1948 on Johannot paper for the rare "Seize Aquarelles et Sanguines de Renoir" portfolio and ...

Original vintage ski travel poster for Le Mont Dore Auvergne in France featuring a fun design by Jean Even (1910-1986) depicting a skier wearing a racing bib skiing down a slope at s...

Soviet poster from 1947, which depicts the greatness of the Soviet Navy fleet. The Soviet Navy (Russian: Военно-морской флот СССР, Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally "Naval Military Forces of the USSR") represents the war navy...