Showing posts with label Laurence Whistler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laurence Whistler. Show all posts

Wednesday, 17 November 2021

Defence Against the Dark Arts Part XV: The artwork of Rex Whistler

The artist and designer Rex Whistler got a brief mention in an article about Beverly Nichols, some of whose books he illustrated. This was a good match: they had a lot in common. Both men were members of the Bright Young Things set for example, and both had a style that has been described as whimsical, quaint and twee. 

Rex Whistler was a very prolific producer of romantic and beautiful images during his short life. He illustrated a variety of books; he produced artwork for advertisements; he painted portraits of members of London society, decorated the homes of the aristocracy and created designs for the stage.

I like his elegant, baroque style very much. There are many images of his work online, so I will feature just a few good examples. 

This poster from 1928 is an advertisement designed to encourage people to use public transport for visiting the London Museum. The poster depicts Britannia arriving in a carriage pulled by a unicorn and being greeted by a policemen, a cherub holding a London Museum guide and a dog. Several statues, including Nelson on top of his column in the background, acknowledge her presence by bowing and doffing their hats:

Spring is from 1929: