His face is deformed, almost like a circus freak, and he gestures rudely with his thumb at the woman. It is uncertain if he is doing this with approval or disapproval. The dwarf's gesture is crude and impolite, given that he is openly pointing at the woman. His necktie also seems to mark his status as lower-class, as is the fact that he seems to be picking his teeth with his other hand. The woman holds a magazine in her hand, evidently the Review that the drawing is designed to publicize. She seems unaware or untroubled by the pointing thumb. In the background hover the many names of other publications in an impressionistic, sparsely depicted drawing of a newsstand, from which evidently the fashionable beauty has selected as her choice. There is also a looming, dark figure in the background that subsumes most of the dwarf's shape, except for his hands, necktie, and face. This figure may be the newsstand vendor, or simply a passer-by in the distance or perhaps simply a shadow. The darkness of the background figure reduces the dwarf's character to his ugly face, rude gestures, and rough clothing. The darkness of background shape makes the woman's beautiful face and eyes even more evident. Beauty and youth choose the publication, the illustration seems to suggest. The actual title of the issue and mundane details are located in small letterings above the sketchily drawn newsstand, almost as an afterthought. Thus, although Bonnard was not above letting his art serve commercial interests, and even celebrated art's potential to bleed into conventional...
One reason Bonnard's work is still powerful today is although the products he advertised no longer exist, his stylistic composition and the unique and haunting nature of his figures live on.
4 in the background, there is what appears to be a huge gray shadow which some viewers of this poster have seen as the "rear view of a man wearing a top hat with collar upraised" while he looks at a wall of flyers or advertisements for other French magazines like "La Revue Blanche." 5 it is pretty easy to see the top of the black hat, but the
The face of this second presence has been painted in a lighter nuance and his uncombed hair clearly suggests an inferior position on the social ladder. The boy's eyesight is somewhat directed towards the copy of the periodical in the woman's hand and his mouth is open, suggesting his amazement upon gazing at the newspaper. Finally, the third presence in La Revue Blanche is a large shadow, which has been
To be sure, under the label Art Nouveau, there resides a long list of diverse artistic styles, from two dimensional arts to constructive and geometrical arts. Art Nouveau was an important architectural movement, inspired by the inherent patterns of nature. For example, C.F.A. Voysey's textile prints showcase plant forms in free curves, while Christopher Dresser's design philosophy stemmed from his knowledge of botany. Aubrey Beardsley (1872-98) is famous for his
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