Whit Stillman
1990s French Posters
Paper
People Also Browsed
1990s English Books
Paper
1970s Pop Art Prints and Multiples
Screen, Lithograph
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Prints
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
1980s Pop Art Prints and Multiples
Paper, Lithograph
Antique 18th Century Dutch Other Prints
Paper
Late 20th Century Realist Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1970s Portrait Prints
Screen
Antique 16th Century Italian Renaissance Chairs
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Books
Paper
1970s Modern Figurative Prints
Etching, Lithograph
Late 20th Century Italian Bauhaus Armchairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Velvet
1990s American Photography
Paper
Vintage 1940s American Modern Lounge Chairs
Foam, Wood
1990s Other Art Style Portrait Photography
Silver Gelatin
Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Scholar's Objects
Bronze
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.