Study for Harper's, April

Edward Penfield American

Not on view

Penfield was the artistic director of Harper and Brothers in the 1890s. His cartoon for the poster advertising the April 1894 issue of Harper’s, which the printers used as a prototype in their process of translating his design into a printed sheet, is composed in ink and wash with hand-cut paper applied to the head, hat, and umbrella as a means of making corrections. The only element of the composition that was not done by hand is the photomechanically printed cutout of the magazine cover, which was likely excised from a printed Harper’s ad. The cartoon provides a glimpse into poster production in the 1890s, when publishing firms such as Harper’s spearheaded technical and stylistic innovations in the field of graphic design.

Study for Harper's, April, Edward Penfield (American, Brooklyn, New York 1866–1925 Beacon, New York), Ink, watercolor, and gouache with cut and pasted painted papers

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