Culture
Words by Michel Wlassikoff
The Beggarstaffs in England, 1894–1899
What happened to these British artists and their bold experiments with stylization and limited color palettes, who failed to find commercial success?
What happened to these British artists and their bold experiments with stylization and limited color palettes, who failed to find commercial success?
The term “Beggarstaffs” or “J. & W. Beggarstaff” designates the signature of their graphic works, in particular posters, by the British artists William Nicholson and James Pryde, produced between 1894 and 1899.
Their first creation was a theater poster, “Hamlet”, for the Shakespearean Company. The original drawing is partly made of collages, Hamlet’s hair and costume are cut out on black paper and brown wrapping paper, with some details added by hand. No copy of the original poster has been preserved; it is only known through reproductions in various publications and especially through the facsimile produced by Imprimerie Chaix, in Paris, for the prestigious publication, Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, in 1898.
From the outset, The Beggarstaffs placed themselves in the register of the artistic poster where Toulouse-Lautrec and Pierre Bonnard had just brilliantly debuted. Collectors and art lovers are enthusiastic about these creations, far from Art Nouveau, which are original plastic experiments. The Beggarstaffs are fond of economy of means and the stylization of motifs. The reduced number of colors and the unique use of the reserve (unprinted part) also characterize their creations. However, they only achieved esteemed success and after several rejected projects, including that of Don Quixote, they abandoned the art of posters.
Documents: Les Maîtres de l'Affiche and Signes archives.
