The Hunterian

A new focus space exhibition at the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Art Gallery presents 19th century artistic posters from The Hunterian’s extensive print collection. ‘The Art of the Poster’ opens on 8 October and features 20 striking works by leading artists from Europe and America. Visitors will be able to see posters from The Hunterian’s unrivalled Mackintosh Collection in the context of contemporaries such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Cheret, and Alphonse Mucha.

The late 19th century saw a remarkable transformation in the design and production of commercial posters. Demand for designs had grown, fuelled by growing prosperity, urbanisation and increasingly competitive markets. Technological developments – including chromolithography and steam-powered presses – revolutionised the printing process. These innovations were exploited by artists, first in France, and subsequently elsewhere in Europe and America, to create the first ‘artistic posters’.

The most successful posters combined simplified forms, bold colours, dramatic viewpoints, and distinctive lettering. Inspiration ranged from early 19th century Japanese woodblock prints to the decorative draughtsmanship of Aubrey Beardsley. A wide stylistic range is apparent, seen in the contrast between Lautrec’s unflinching depictions of Parisian cabaret stars and the idealised women of Mucha, or the colourful vivacity of Chéret and the geometric boldness of the Glasgow and Austrian designers.

Posters are also important social history documents, illustrating consumerism, fashion and class. From the 1880s, artistic posters became highly prized art objects, pursued by collectors. In large part because of this, what is an essentially ephemeral art form has been preserved for us to enjoy today.

The conservation and framing of selected works were supported by a grant from Museums Galleries Scotland.

‘The Art of the Poster’ runs from 8 October 2011 – 8 January 2012. The Hunterian will close from 25 December 2011 until 3 January 2012 inclusive for the Christmas and New Year holiday.

The Hunterian (Art Gallery)
University of Glasgow
82 Hillhead Street
Glasgow G12 8QQ

Open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm and Sunday 11.00am – 4.00pm
Admission free

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For further information contact:
Pamela Robertson, Senior Curator
Pamela.Robertson@glasgow.ac.uk
Telephone: 0141 330 4547

Notes to Editors
Founded in 1807, The Hunterian is Scotland’s oldest public museum. Built on William Hunter’s founding bequest, the collections include scientific instruments used by James Watt and Joseph Lister; a unique collection of Roman monumental sculpture, spectacular architectural fragments and other important artefacts recovered from the Antonine Wall; major natural sciences holdings; one of the world’s greatest numismatic collections and impressive ethnographic objects from the Pacific Ocean.

The Hunterian is also home to a major art collection ranging from Rembrandt and Chardin to the Scottish Colourists and contemporary art; the world’s largest permanent display of the work of James McNeill Whistler; the largest single holding of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and The Mackintosh House, the reassembled interiors from his Glasgow home.

There are four Hunterian venues on the University of Glasgow campus - the Hunterian Museum, Hunterian Art Gallery, home to The Mackintosh House, the Zoology Museum and the Anatomy Museum.

First published: 19 September 2011