One of the main reason posters are so valuable, is because they show the changes in society, as well as the society itself. The two posters on this page don't have any great historical significance in themselves, even though they are very interesting posters. Their main importance comes from their comparison.

The first poster in entitled Jubiläums: Ausstellung Künstterhaus. It was created by Josef Brettner of Austria in 1905. The second poster is entitled Horseman. It was created by Bart Vanderleck, a Dutch man, in 1919. Both posters portray basically the same image, a picture of a man riding a horse. The first which was created in 1905 uses bold colors. The warrior standing over his land is glorified and takes up most of the poster. This example of Art Nouveau is very strong endorser of the power of the state. The message is bold and clear. The second poster which was created in 1919 is very different. It also depicts a man on a horse, but the whole image has been reduced. The man and horse are merely shapes giving the impression of horse and rider. The Background is merely a white sea, dwarfing the importance of horse and reader. This picture is nihilistic in its approach and is an off shoot of dadaism and cubism.

These two images have been juxtaposed, merely because of the fact that one was
created before W.W.I, and the other was created after. Because the posters have the same subject matter, a viewer can really see the effect the war had on the world. Images that were once considered strong and bold have been reduced to nothing. The meaning and emotion has been drained away leaving merely a few well placed shapes on a white field. The events of war have a dramatic effect on all society. Posters for this reason are an excellent reflection of society.

Horseman
Bart Vanderleck: 1919

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