The “Trentino” poster, created from a design by Franz Lenhart and printed by Amilcare Pizzi S.A. of Milan, represents an emblematic example of Italian advertising graphics of the second post-war period. The work belongs to the context of the national tourist revival, when the coordinated image of territories played a central role in visual communication.
At the centre of the composition appears a stylized bear, a symbolic figure of Trentino, depicted as it moves forward under light rain, with a ski resting on its shoulder. However, the animal is not represented in a naturalistic way: on the contrary, Lenhart adopts an effective formal synthesis, constructed through flat colour fields, saturated colours and soft lines. Consequently, the image appears immediate, legible and strongly communicative.
The inscription “Quo vadis, Skier?”, placed in the upper part, introduces an ironic and conversational tone, while the word “TRENTINO”, large and solid in the lower part, reinforces the territorial identity. Moreover, the chromatic choice, dominated by blue, white and orange, helps to evoke a wintery yet welcoming atmosphere, perfectly consistent with the promotional purpose of the poster.
Franz Lenhart, active as an illustrator and graphic designer in the Italian panorama of the twentieth century, stands out for a clear, narrative and modernly simplified style, in line with the European trends in graphics of those years. Therefore, this poster stands not only as advertising material, but also as a historical and visual document, capable of testifying to the evolution of graphic language and Alpine tourism in the post-war period.
Description: Lithograph, quality B+, linen-backed, H cm 99×69.
Hammer Price: € 3.720,00
Auction 54 – 22 September 2022 – Design, 20th Century Decorative Art, Poster
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