Iris, Musica Di P.Mascagni 1898

Adolfo Hohenstein designed this poster in 1898 as an advertisement for Pietro Mascagni’s opera, Iris. The poster’s style is typical of the Italian version of the international Art Nouveau movement, expressing some of its central themes around nature and the female figure. Iris, the opera's heroine, is surrounded by irises as she seems to dream. This evokes contemporary Symbolist ideas about the power of dreams to reveal hidden truths, as well as the notion of “femme fatale” – the dangerous, seductive woman so popular at the time. But Hohenstein’s poster is more than just a beautiful image. It’s also a commercial product, designed to sell tickets to the opera. To understand the poster fully, we need to consider the relationship between art and commerce in the late 19th century, and the role of institutions like opera houses in shaping cultural tastes. We can research how the opera was received at the time, and what social function it served.