The Orientalist Poster

The romance of the Muslim East proved a magnet to European artists travelling in the Middle East and North Africa in the late 19th century. The orientalist painting tradition which resulted was far-fetched in its imagery but tremenduously influential, and soon spread to other art forms. One of these was poster art, executed in a boldly-coloured graphic style which swiftly captured the public imagination. At first it was the great shipping lines who advertised their cruises with innovative depictions of exotic destinations, but they were soon followed by other businesses promoting food products, exhibitions, automobiles, railways and tourism. Many of the resulting posters are now highly prized by collectors. The collection of one such enthusiast forms the basis of this book, which contains a treasury of images presenting a distinct vision of the Middle East - ranging from the casbahs and souks of North Africa (as seen by Majorelle and the leading French poster designers) to the minarets of Istanbul and Cairo, the great Mediterranean liner ports, and the crusader castles of the Levant.