Le Timbre d'argent (1877)

Dated 1877, "Le Timbre d'argent" is an artwork by Prudent-Louis Leray. The catalogue places it in Vintage Posters. The format is portrait. Vintage Posters, a short history: Colour lithography in the 1890s turned the illustrated poster into a major art form, and cities such as Paris and Prague became centres of poster design. Posters announced theatre, travel, products, and events, combining image and lettering to be read at a glance from the street. Context for 1877: In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do.

On onlly.art "Le Timbre d'argent" 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. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

French, 1820–1879

If you like the visual language of Prudent-Louis Leray, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.