Jester (1912 - 1924)

Will R. Barnes is the artist behind "Jester", dated 1912 - 1924. Historical background, 1912 - 1924: Posters, magazines, and illustrated books were major ways for the public to meet new art and design. The first decades of the twentieth century were a period of rapid experiment, with Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, and the first abstract painting appearing within a few years of each other. Background on Illustration: Printing methods such as woodcut, engraving, lithography, and photomechanical reproduction each shaped how illustrators worked. Illustration serves a text or a story, a tradition that runs from decorated medieval manuscripts to printed book plates, magazines, and posters. The catalogue places it in Illustration. The format is portrait.

On onlly.art "Jester" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

American, 1939

If you like the visual language of Will R. Barnes, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.