The Baggerstaffs Brothers (updated)

According to the research that I have done although the Beggarstaffs Brothers were together for a few years and they were not much a success they still managed to transform the history of poster design with a series of bold, simple designs and by using flat images and silhouettes. The Beggarstaffs Brothers also introduced new techniques with colours and shapes by cutting them out then assembled the shapes into the composition. One can also notice that some shapes that were created implied lines that engaged viewers while they deciphered the image.

The Beggarstaffs Brothers 

The painters James Pryde and William Nicholson were brother-in-laws who opened an advertising design studio called The Beggarstaff Brothers. This was one of the most remarkable moments in history of graphic design. By cutting pieces of paper, moving them around and pasting them in position on a board, they created flat planes of colour where the edges of the shape were drawn with scissors. Unlike Art Nouveau, The Beggarstaff Brothers forged a new beginning of design that focused on powerful coloured shapes and silhouttes rather than organic and decorative form. The artistic work of The Beggerstaff Brothers was a success but when it came to finance unfortunately they were a disaster. They did attract a few clients but only a couple of their designs were printed. The Beggarstaff Brothers only stayed together for three short years. They were a commercial failure, as clients were not sure what to make of these bold new images. But their designs became hugely influential with artists in Europe and America.

 Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 276

The above image was done by The Baggerstaffs Brothers in 1896 it was a poster for Don Quixote. The poster demonstrates bold outlines, bold serif text and silhouette windmill in the background this created a visual tension between positive and negative space. The cut paper shapes produced a graphic image whose simplicity and technique were of their time. The poster was never printed because the director/producer felt that the poster was bad likeness of Quixote.
Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 277

The above image is another poster by The Baggestaffs Brothers the poster represents the main character, a knight and his faithful horse. The lack of colour and the employment of simple design elements did a remarkable job in conveniently keeping printing costs low while still allowing the brothers to create powerful silhouette that let the viewer use some imagination to visualize the blanks and even create a world outside the lines of the picture.Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 277

A Gaiety Girl 1898

The above image is a poster done by Dudley Hardy who had turned to poster and advertising design just like The Baggerstaffs Brothers. Dudley Hardy had an effective formula for theatrical poster work:

• Bold Lettering and figure appear against simple background 
• The figure and the play title standout dramatically against the flat red background.

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc pg 279

The poster designs in Europe during the first half of the 20^th century were mostly influenced by the Modern art movements such as Surrealism, Cubism, and Dadaism. The designers were conscious of the need to use pictorial references in their posters as a way to visually communicate more persuasively their views. Influenced mostly by Cubism and constructivism, poster artists combined expressive and symbolic images as well as total visual organization on picture plane 

References

Philip B. meggs. and Alston W. Purvis.eds., 2012. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Fifth Edition. Hoboken Canada: John Wiley & Sons,Inc.