Chaussures J.B. Torrilhon c. 1920

This poster was made by Leonetto Cappiello to advertise J.B. Torrilhon shoes. Just look at that leaping frog—a splash of yellow and green against a solid black ground! What strikes me is Cappiello’s commitment to pure shape. The frog's body and limbs are so streamlined, almost abstract. Notice how the lines curve, defining the form with such economy and precision. And then, the color! That intense yellow just pops, doesn't it? It’s balanced by the cooler green, creating a dynamic tension. The frog itself is all curves, except, wonderfully, the very square shape of the sole of the shoe. I think that is a brilliant addition to this image as it grounds the image in the literal, against all the curvilinear chaos of the rest. I’m reminded of Milton Glaser, another master of simplification. Like Glaser, Cappiello finds a way to distill the essence of his subject into something bold, memorable, and strangely iconic. Ultimately, art is an invitation to see the world anew.