Thursday, March 21, 2024

The Beggarstaffs. A lesson in simplicity



The Beggarstaffs (Sir William Nicholson, English, 1872-1949 & James Pryde, Scottish, 1866-1941) Under a pseudonym, they virtually created the modern poster with clear outlines and large areas of flat color.

What's the Beggarstaffs' secret?


1- cut and paste (yes, scissors and colored paper)


2- flat treatment of form, silhouette of 

3- stylized simplification of shape, 

4- Japanese-like handling of perspective (with no influence of Toulouse Lautrec and of the Nabis),