Exposition Internationale de Madrid 1893

Eugène Grasset created this poster for the "Exposition Internationale de Madrid" of 1893-94. It’s a work dominated by contrasting formal elements: a vibrant Art Nouveau style coexisting with a rigid, textual block. The flowing lines of the figure, draped in yellow and black, draw the eye through the pictorial space, while the sharp, ordered typography anchors the composition. The female figure embodies the aesthetic of the era, while the architectural drawing establishes a sense of place. We see here a formal interplay between the organic and the geometric. Grasset uses color to define the figure and to give volume to the background architectural drawing. The artist, through the construction of space and the rendering of form, constructs a narrative about the modern age. The tension between the two halves of this work encourages us to explore the dialog between text and image, representation and abstraction. This tension opens a realm of contemplation far beyond its original advertising purpose.