Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

American, 1866-1925

One of the best of our native talents, Penfield is well-known for the decade 1891-1901, during which he was the art director of Harper's. For five of the ten years he produced posters for each month's issue of the then-popular magazine. His drawings are deceptively simple, with flat color and clear lines, but they always manage to convey class and refinement. And there's quite often a gentle touch of humor or irony, refreshing and frivolous. Penfield's posters are models of effective composition and economy of expression (Jack Rennert, PAI-XXVII, 555) When his tenure at Harper's came to an end, Penfield was free to travel, and his experiences are preserved in two books published by Scribner's, Holland Sketches (1907) and Spanish Sketches (1911), in which his graphic sense blossomed in a wealth of detail. The critic Royal Cortissoz commented: "When he made [these], he entered thoroughly into the spirit of his themes and did some of his best work... He was never the technical virtuoso alone. Humanity was always breaking into his world." - Frederic B. Taraba "We are a bit tired of the very serious nowadays, and a little frivolity is refreshing, and yet frivolity to be successful must be most thoroughly studied." So wrote EDWARD PENFIELD near the outset of his highly influential career as an illustrator, art editor, and poster artist, a career guided by keen observation, a cosmopolitan sensibility, and simplicity that belied his meticulously crafted efforts. In looking at the work of Penfield today, we find less of what strikes us as frivolous and more of a keen sense of design and composition. The Art Center Bulletin of April 1925 remembered his contribution to illustrative art this way: "To everything he produced Penfield brought his great gifts of design and draftsmanship, a wonderful sincerity that never faltered, and a beautiful humbleness of spirit." As early as 1894, just a year and a half after Penfield began a series of monthly images for Harper's , his work was heralded by Publisher's Weekly: "The advertising poster has within recent years actually soared into the regions of art." Penfield is also credited with bringing abstraction to commercial art through his boldly simplified shapes. This and other stylistic trademarks resulted from a distillation of a number of influences, including the compositional precepts and casual poses found in Japanese prints, the hand-craftsmanship of the Arts and Crafts movement, the impressionistic approach of Parisian poster-making, and British poise and directness.

Creator: Edward Penfield

Edward Penfield Harper's April 1896 Stone Lithograph Poster

$695

Edward Penfield Harper's April 1896 Stone Lithograph Poster

By Edward Penfield

Located in Sharon, CT

Edward Penfield (1866-1925) Stone Lithograph Art Nouveau Poster of The Harper's April 1896 Edition. Depicting, in characteristic beautiful color and line, a stylish couple in coats and hats. Size of image: 17 1/2" x 12 7/8". Size of paper: 17 1/2" x 12 7/8". Signed in the stone image. Condition: damages to surface due to having been folded, as tiny tear...

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1890s American Art Nouveau Antique Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Le Théâtrophone - Vintage Art Nouveau Lithograph Poster by Jules Cheret

$275

H 29 in W 20 in D 0.25 in

Le Théâtrophone - Vintage Art Nouveau Lithograph Poster by Jules Cheret

By Jules Chéret

Located in East Quogue, NY

Limited-edition vintage lithographic reproduction poster of "Le Théâtrophone" by Jules Cheret, published in 1968 by The Sunday Times (London). The print is offered unframed. Ship...

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Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Mucha, Job, Original Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Poster, Gold, Cigarette Paper 1896

$55,167

H 26.26 in W 18.27 in D 0.04 in

Mucha, Job, Original Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Poster, Gold, Cigarette Paper 1896

By Alphonse Mucha

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Original Art Nouveau Vintage Poster dating from 1896 by Alphonse Mucha for Job, Cigarette paper. Artist: Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) Tit...

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19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Edward Gorey "The Chinese Obelisks" Poster, Signed

$475

H 30 in W 24 in D 0.02 in

Edward Gorey "The Chinese Obelisks" Poster, Signed

By Tim Burton

Located in New York, NY

Poster in conjunction with Edward Gorey’s book The Chinese Obelisks, published and distributed in New York and copyrighted by Gorey in 1979. Depicted is one of Gorey’s morbidly comi...

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1990s American Late Victorian Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original French color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1892

$4,800

H 49 in W 34.25 in D 0.5 in

Original French color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1892

By Jules Chéret

Located in North Bergen, NJ

Vintage original French Art Nouveau color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1892. Featuring Jules floor lamp model. Catalogue raisonné : Broido, "The Posters of Jule...

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1890s Art Nouveau Antique Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Vintage Chinese Lithograph Advertisement Poster, c. 1930

$780

H 30.5 in W 20.5 in D 0.125 in

Vintage Chinese Lithograph Advertisement Poster, c. 1930

Located in Chicago, IL

This advertising poster from the 1930s melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography that was popularized in China during the econom...

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Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original French color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1900

$3,600

H 48 in W 34.5 in D 0.5 in

Original French color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1900

By Jules Chéret

Located in North Bergen, NJ

Original vintage French Art Nouveau color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1900 (green dress) Catalogue raisonné: Lucy Broido, "The Posters of Jules Chéret," entry 9...

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Early 1900s Art Nouveau Antique Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

1974 FEMMES FATALES Film Series Lithograph Poster, Framed

$390Sale Price|40% Off

H 35.5 in W 23 in D 1 in

1974 FEMMES FATALES Film Series Lithograph Poster, Framed

Located in Van Nuys, CA

Original Femmes Fatales Poster designed by Walker Art Center Graphic Designer, James E. Johnson. The lithograph is printed on heavy weight gold metallic paper in 5 colors! It has the...

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1970s American Art Deco Vintage Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

1981 Rolling Stones - American Tour Original Vintage Poster

$775

H 41.1 in W 22.6 in D 0.1 in

1981 Rolling Stones - American Tour Original Vintage Poster

Located in Winchester, GB

Promoting their 1981 album "Tattoo You", the Rolling Stones American Tour of 1981 was the highest grossing tour of the year, earning over $50 million. Reaching number 1 in the charts and featuring all time classics such as "Start Me Up", "Tattoo You" was a huge success for the Rolling Stones, and is regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 80s. Featuring the tongue and lips logo created by John Pasche, this beautiful poster features artwork from Doug Johnson...

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1980s American Vintage Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

French Art Deco Chimney Sweep Lithograph Poster

$1,800

H 63.25 in W 48 in D 0.5 in

French Art Deco Chimney Sweep Lithograph Poster

Located in Atlanta, GA

French Art Deco chimney sweep lithograph poster, France or Brussels, circa 1930s. It measures an impressive 63" height x 48" width. It has been professio...

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1930s French Art Deco Vintage Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

Original French color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1893

$3,000

H 48 in W 34 in D 0.5 in

Original French color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1893

By Jules Chéret

Located in North Bergen, NJ

Vintage original French Art Nouveau color lithograph poster for Saxoléïne by Jules Chéret, 1893. Catalogue raisonné: Lucy Broido, "The Posters of Jules Chéret," entry 947 (figure 17...

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1890s Art Nouveau Antique Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Midcentury Joan Miro Lithograph Art Poster

$460Sale Price|20% Off

H 20 in W 15.625 in D 0.1 in

Midcentury Joan Miro Lithograph Art Poster

By Joan Miró

Located in San Diego, CA

Highly collectible midcentury Joan Miro lithograph art poster, circa 1950s. The piece is from the French Posters Collection and is in very nice unframed condition with limited handling. Beautiful abstract image with vibrant and crisp colors and lettering. Free shipping in the continental United States...

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20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Original Poster-Moulin Rouge-Toulouse Lautrec-La Goulue Jane April, 1952

$4,012

H 63 in W 47.25 in D 0.4 in

Original Poster-Moulin Rouge-Toulouse Lautrec-La Goulue Jane April, 1952

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Original Poster-Moulin Rouge-Toulouse Lautrec-La Goulue Jane April, 1952 Poster for John Huston's Moulin-Rouge movie, released in 1952. The film tells th...

Category

20th Century Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Previously Available Items

Original vintage advertising poster for Harper's June 1896 by Edward Penfield

Sold

H 18.31 in D 13.39 in

Original vintage advertising poster for Harper's June 1896 by Edward Penfield

By Edward Penfield

Located in London, GB

Original vintage advertising poster for the June 1896 issue of Harper's by the leading American illustrator and graphic designer, Edward Penfield (1866-1925). Framed. Good condition,...

Category

19th Century American Antique Edward Penfield Wall Decorations

Materials

Lithograph, Paper

Edward Penfield wall decorations for sale on 1stDibs.

Edward Penfield wall decorations are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of paper and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Edward Penfield wall decorations, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original wall decorations by Edward Penfield were created in the Art Nouveau style in united states during the 19th century. Prices for Edward Penfield wall decorations can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $695 and can go as high as $695, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $695.