Date: 1914 (original, larger sized poster printed in 1902)
Size: 10.25 x 14 inches
Artist: Franz Laskoff
About the artist: Franz Laskoff (1869–1921) was a Hungarian-born artist and illustrator who became one of the leading figures in early 20th-century poster art and graphic design.
About this piece: This beautiful poster belongs to the Portfolio "Gli Avvisi delle Officine G. Ricordi e C. Milano" (The Advertisements of the G. Ricordi & Co. Graphics Works, Milan) a famous and rare collection published around 1914, inspired by the famous French publication Les Maîtres de l'Affiche. The complete collection contains 70 color lithographic plates (chromolithographs) in a reduced size format. It represents an extraordinary testament to the golden age of the Italian advertising poster and Art Nouveau (Liberty style) graphics, closely tied to the world of opera and the Ricordi music publishing house.
True to its literary inspiration, the artwork features the classic character Don Quixote reimagined for the 20th century. He is depicted as a knight at a full gallop, charging forward with a medieval tournament lance, a shield, and a broadsword (spadone). The composition is packed with energy. The diagonal thrust of the horse and lance cuts sharply across the frame, conveying speed, urgency, and the aggressive, piercing wit of the satirical newspaper it was built to advertise.
