Golf Calendar. February 1899

This color lithograph is a calendar page for February, created by Edward Penfield around the turn of the 20th century in the United States. Penfield was a leading figure in the American Arts and Crafts movement and was known for his poster designs. In this image, we see two smartly dressed men golfing on a snowy landscape, a barn sits in the background, and a calendar grid at the bottom. The composition, colors, and subject matter are all carefully chosen to evoke a sense of refined leisure, and to appeal to a specific social class: affluent professionals. The image creates meaning through these visual codes, subtly advertising a lifestyle of leisure and success. To truly understand this image, we can investigate the history of golf as a sport and its association with wealth and status, the Arts and Crafts movement, and advertising in America. By doing so, we understand that art, even in a functional form like a calendar, is a product of its time, shaped by social forces, and designed to influence its audience.