Poster — Two Ballerinas on Horseback. Poster advertising Polish circus , Poland, Warsaw, 1968
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1968
Poster in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number S.3799-1995), made in Poland, Warsaw, dated 1968, attributed to Karolak, Jerzy. The museum's brief description reads: Poster advertising Polish circus, 1968.
Colour lithograph by Jerzy Karolak (1907-1984). Museum description: Pictorial poster advertising Polish circus illustrated with a decoupage-style image of two equestriennes wearing top hats, balancing en pointe on cantering horses on a lace-inspired background. The word Cyrk features as decoupage. Printed in pink, red, blue, yellow, and black on white paper The museum records it as Printing ink on paper, measuring Height 99.0 cm; Width 68.6 cm.
These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
During the 1960s the Polish State Entertainment Agency (ZPR) hit on the idea of promoting Polish circus (CYRK) by commissioning posters from a group of leading poster artists, including the graphic artist, poster designer and book illustrator Jerzy Karolak (1907-1984). He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and from 1947 taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow where he headed the Poster Studio. Posters by Karolak feature in the collections of the Poster Museum in Wilanów and other Polish museums. Many of these Polish circus posters produced by the ZPR featured the word Cyrk in eye-catching graphics, in this case appearing as if in cut-out letters, or decoupage. These posters were not intended as advertisements for specific performances or companies but as works of poster art that conjured the spirit of Polish circus. Brilliantly designed, rich in fantasy and humour, these posters were soon appreciated within Poland and abroad as collectable items, and have since featured in many exhibitions of poster art world-wide.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- paper, printing ink
- Dimensions
- Height 99.0 cm; Width 68.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Printing ink on paper
- Maker recorded
- Karolak, Jerzy
- Place recorded
- Poland, Warsaw
Identification
- Museum object name
- Poster
- Museum object number
- S.3799-1995
- Museum system number
- O1607489
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.