When we think of postcards, many of us envision a loud and not necessarily aesthetic card that can be purchased for a small amount in any tourist town. Sometimes it's made up of a series of photos showing the city skyline or the most significant places for the visitor, sometimes embellished with overly decorated lettering or drawings. The designers of postcards from Toruń even attempted to make some of them resemble gingerbread, giving them a characteristic shape and color. On the other hand, postcards from seaside towns may contain small pieces of amber enclosed in plastic boxes along with beach sand or shells.
It comes to mind that such unusual and often exaggerated embellishments are the domain of modern times, yet by tracing the evolution of postcards, one can discover that the grotesque shapes and additions accompanying the postcards we know today are merely a shadow of their predecessors.
The greatest influence on artistic illustrated postcards was Art Nouveau, as a movement striving to unify all branches of art and create a cohesive aesthetic direction. Artists, wishing to oppose simple shapes and formal rules, began to lean towards undulating, elongated lines, and free compositions. Architecture was adorned with enthusiasm and skill, but also smaller everyday objects such as furniture, jewelry, cutlery, or fabrics. Initially, Art Nouveau was referred to as a movement that sought to spread tastelessness and demoralization. Despite unfavorable opinions, this style, which as Mieczysław Wallis writes, "aimed to imbue everyday life with beauty" [1], was accepted and also made an impact in the postcard industry. Through the combination of ornamentation, imagery, and decorated typography, Art Nouveau created miniature works of art from postcards.
Painters, illustrators, and graphic artists shared a common passion for richly decorated forms, ornamentation inspired by plant motifs, and subtle color schemes. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, many groups emerged, bringing together Art Nouveau artists who wanted to oppose traditional conventions and academic art through their work. The first such association was the Munich Secession, founded in 1893. After that, Austrian artists, gathered around Gustav Klimt, established the Vienna Secession. In Germany, there was the Berlin Secession, in Russia, the Mir Iskusstva group, and in Poland, the group of Polish Applied Arts, founded in Krakow in 1901.
The growing interest in Art Nouveau postcards, beyond creating a new branch of industry, found reflection in artistic activities. Entire associations of illustrators and graphic artists worked on the production of artistic postcards, often gaining wide popularity in this way. Initially, illustrations on postcards were merely reproductions of famous paintings made by various publishers, but the popularization of this form of communication and art distribution prompted artists themselves to develop illustrations specifically for postcards. One could find works by such distinguished artists of the era as Alfons Mucha, Gustav Klimt, or Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec on them.
Art Nouveau postcards were miniature works of art. On them, one could find everything so characteristic of this movement – the richness of stylized plant ornamentation, the restless rhythm of flowing lines, figures dressed in long flowing fabrics and wavy, carefully arranged hair adorned with feathers, enormous hats, or flowers.
FIg. 1. Alfons Mucha, postcard from the 20th century
The Role of Women on Postcards
Women are undoubtedly an integral element of Art Nouveau aesthetics – their flowing silhouettes entwine columns and house facades, adorn vessels, and reign on magazine covers and fashion journals. It's no wonder, then, that they also dominated postcards as a mass artistic medium. In Art Nouveau aesthetics, woman is a symbol, she is mystery, life, fertility, flower, angel. It is impossible to list all the representations given to the female figure in Art Nouveau aesthetics. Thanks to appropriately positioned and more or less clothed female silhouettes, everyday life situations and embodiments of aspects such as love, faith, sadness, hope, or contemplation could be depicted.
The first series of postcards dedicated exclusively to ladies was introduced to the market by the French publisher F. Champenois at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The cards were reproductions of famous works by eminent artists of the era – Alfons Mucha, Pierre Bonnard, or Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Initially, they caused scandal in some circles, especially in the case of depictions of women from the French demi-monde. Images of dancers from cabarets in the red-light district or artists from the Fernando circus provoked aversion due to deviations from the accepted aesthetic and moral norms of the time. However, there was no shortage of connoisseurs of female beauty captured on the increasingly numerous postcards. The growing popularity of such postcards was evidenced by the multitude of special catalogs issued during that period aimed at enthusiasts, focusing exclusively on new series of this type. Collections focused on Eastern cultures, famous actresses, or drawing inspiration from Roman mythology were announced. Quickly, postcards with women in the lead role became the most popular and eagerly purchased souvenirs. In response to the expectations of the steadily growing group of collectors, more and more artists began to focus their creativity on this subject.
The Art Nouveau fascination with beauty in the form of long, flowing lines found its reflection in the representation of women. The fashionable woman became slender, ethereal, and delicate – a strong contrast to the still popular, plump, academic silhouette of a few years earlier. The leading fashion journals unanimously recommended slimness. This was also reflected in clothing styles – women competed in the abundance of ruffles, lace, and lavishly decorated headgear. It can be said, therefore, that postcards indirectly, as one of the mass carriers of Art Nouveau aesthetics, contributed to the change in the canons of female beauty.
Fig. 2. Raphael Kirchner, postcard from the "Marionettes" series.
Influence on such a significant breakthrough was also exerted by individual artists fond of depicting female faces, such as the Austrian painter Raphael Kirchner. It was precisely postcard illustrations that brought him the greatest fame. Before turning to this aspect of art, his works did not stand out in any particular way, and he himself was not very popular. The French were the first to become acquainted with his work. Kirchner was invited to Paris, where he created his most popular series – "Marionettes" and "Sunbeams." The former depicted loving couples hanging on strings resting in the hands of the goddess of love Venus, while in the latter, the artist depicted female figures against a two-colored, spiral scenery, accompanied by flowers and animals. Kirchner's decorative postcards enjoyed wide acclaim among merchants and collectors and allowed the artist to develop.
Fig. 3. Charles Dana Gibson, 1901
Undoubtedly, the significant transformation of the canon of female grace was also influenced by the American illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, who created the personification of ideal American beauty. The woman depicted on his postcards was tall and dressed in comfortable yet elegant attire suitable for any occasion. Her hair was styled in a high, loose bun with individual strands cascading down her long, slender neck. The perfectly slender yet excessively curved "S"-shaped silhouette with ample breasts and buttocks was achieved through the wearing of a corset. The statuesque figure of the woman expressed calmness, self-assurance, and style. Modeled after Gibson's wife, this figure embodied the American dream, and many women aspired to her appearance, striving to emulate both her attire and expression. Dubbed the Gibson girl, this iconic figure was portrayed by the author as emancipated to some extent, a woman capable of attending higher education and being an equal companion to men. She was often depicted as a dominant figure, accompanied by comically miniaturized gentlemen, examining them through a magnifying glass or treading with her characteristic grace. This portrayed her as an independent woman who could not be satisfied by others. The Gibson girl adopted many characteristics from the feminist ideal of the "new woman." However, unlike her, she remained within the accepted roles of women at the time, without engaging in politics. In Gibson's postcards, there is no attempt to push the boundaries of gender roles. On the contrary, they reinforced the social norms of the time.
However, the year 1914 arrived, when millions of men became stuck in trenches, and women, by necessity, had to abandon the Art Nouveau luxury and replace it in almost all duties. This resulted in simplifying women's clothing, which was not suitable for the new conditions. Opulent dresses became simpler and much less ornate, and hair was significantly shortened. Everything took on a more masculine character, striving for functionality and comfort. Along with the First World War, the ideal of the delicate and ethereal Art Nouveau lady was abandoned. This image also disappeared from postcards, replaced by a symbolic woman who, in difficult times, carried hope for victory and a quick return home.
Fig. 4. A postcard with the image of Mary Pickford.
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The end of the war did not mean a return to the innocent ideal of female beauty. Society, tired of hardships and strict morality, sought entertainment and relaxation. Cabarets and jazz clubs opened, and the popularity of performing artists singing uncensored songs soared. A new canon of femininity emerged – the flapper. This fashion trend was, of course, reflected in postcards. Slim, young women could now afford much more than before the war. Opulent and floor-length dresses lost their grandeur and were shortened to knee-length. Hair cut smoothly framed a face adorned with bold makeup — dark eyes and vividly red lips. The slender, delicate body with prominent hips and a defined waist lost its lightness in favor of a toned silhouette with small breasts. The sight of a woman smoking a cigarette or sitting on a horse in a masculine manner no longer shocked anyone. The postcard industry immediately picked up on this new trend, flooding the market with reproductions of images of the biggest movie stars of that period – Greta Garbo, Clara Bow, or Mary Pickford. Like with the Art Nouveau Gibson girl, millions of women strove to fit into the latest canon of female beauty. At the same time, a new trend emerged, widely seen in cinema, and soon after on the streets and, of course, on postcards. The flapper girl – the "youngster" – was created by the American writer and chronicler Francis Scott Fitzgerald as a liberated woman, interacting with men as equals, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes. In this case as well, the inspiration for the creation of the new canon of femininity was the wife of its creator.
In the following years, women continued to reign on advertising postcards as well. They were effectively and quickly meant to persuade the recipient to buy a specific car or clothing from a particular brand. However, the woman was no longer the main subject of such cards but merely an object used as a means for marketing purposes. This is how her postcard image evolved from the Art Nouveau charming beauty, through the flapper, to the inglorious queen of advertising.
Article Author
Wiktoria Chodźko, MA
WIT Academy graduate
Bibliography
[1] Wallis Mieczysław, Secesja, 1974.
[2] Kotłowski Jan, Dawne pocztówki, 1998, p. 37.
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