Why bow your back (1929)

Willard Frederic Elmes is the artist behind "Why bow your back", dated 1929. About the period around 1929: 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. The catalogue places it in Vintage Posters. The format is portrait. Background on Vintage Posters: 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.

"Why bow your back" is offered as a printable file (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI) rather than a shipped item. You receive the files by email after payment and handle printing yourself, which gives you full control over paper, size, and finish. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Measuring the wall before choosing a size is the simplest way to avoid a print that feels too small or too large. 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. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour.

American, 1900–1956

If you like the visual language of Willard Frederic Elmes, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.