Table of ContentsFORMALANALYSISPivolo Apéritif Aux Vins De France (1924)Semiotic AnalysisTypographyElementsCompositionConclusionThe poster was one of the first advertising tools and, in the 19th century, began to develop into a visual communication medium and then spread widely throughout the rest of the world and became a reference in the graphic design sector. The evolution of posters also strongly influenced the development of typography, because posters were intended to be read from a distance, and it was therefore necessary to produce new, larger characters. Posters have been used to advertise various political parties, new recruits, promote products and disseminate ideas and knowledge to the public. The way a poster is designed is no coincidence: it is made entirely with the aim of conveying the message or topic in the best possible way. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Over time, the style, techniques, and “rules” of poster design have changed. The style is never constant, the support is also: posters have remained an important advertising tool. Even today, with the Internet being the most effective advertising tool, posters are still produced and designed. This topic intrigues me because I've always loved poster designs. It is a very powerful communication tool that does not just belong to one style or period: over time, poster designers have incorporated contemporary visual means to communicate with the public in the way as efficient as possible. In this article I will compare posters from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements. My goal is to understand how these two movements differ from each other, and how these differences can be detected by analyzing specific posters created by Toulouse-Lautrec and by Cassandre. In my comparative analysis, I will examine the ideas, style, and techniques used in each poster, as well as place them in the context of their specific time period. The investigation will use the theory of semiotics to analyze the value and meaning of the signs represented in each poster. Additionally, we will also use Feisner's 2006 book on color symbolism to better understand the meaning and reasons for using certain colors and interpret them. their purpose. These two theoretical approaches will allow us to better understand the choices made by the artist and, more broadly, what characterizes the visual expression of Art Nouveau versus Art Deco. This article will begin with a formal analysis, describing the elements of the posters, composition, color, lines, movement, etc. We will also study the artistic movement and period of the poster in order to understand the context in which they were designed. I intend, through this investigation, to gain a broader understanding of both art movements and how they used and understood art. poster design. In this article, I will analyze the two styles of posters and the use of visual means by applying formal and contextual analysis. The approach I will use is based on semiotic theory which contributes to a better understanding of what artists want to convey. I chose these two movements because they both had a huge influence on the development of the poster designs and advertising techniques we see today. Both movements emerged in response to the cultural and historical context of their times. Art Nouveau isappeared at the origins of the industrial revolution. The visual expression of Art Nouveau is characterized by its curves and fluidity. The Art Nouveau style began around 1890 and was characterized by its use of organic and geometric shapes and, originally, a two-dimensional decorative style that explored the potential of lines and the shapes they depict, rather than perspective and the depth. The use of natural forms in decoration has a long tradition in Western art, so they have been primarily representational. The movement approached this differently, they did not want to create copies of nature, but rather use it as inspiration for the world of imagination where nature was just the raw material. Flora is widely represented, as well as animals and insects - real and imaginary. . Fishes decorated with bats, birds, dragons and dragonflies were widely used designs. Geometry was also used in Art Nouveau, but mainly in curved rather than sharp forms. Art Nouveau is decorative, organic and floral. Art Deco, on the other hand, was sharp and based on straight lines and edges. Geometry was essential: perfect shapes, circles and angles. It was minimalist and became more pronounced over the years and is considered the first industrialized style. On the other hand, between the two world wars, art deco creators could be divided into two categories: the sybarites and the revolutionaries. The Sybarites covered virtually every available surface with their stylized flowers and fruits while the revolutionaries wanted the purity of lines to stand out clearly in decoration and looked to the aesthetics of machines for inspiration. However, the concept they all had in common was that of total design. Rather, you wanted your home to look like “a clockwork or an exotic jungle” (quote), every detail deserved the designer's attention. Besides the flower, there were other favorite Art Deco concepts such as fountains, leaping gazelles, and as geometry became powerful, sunbeams and lightning ziggurats became motifs used. In the 1930s, the geometric shapes of animals, flowers and plants gained respect and became decorations. in themselves.FORMAL ANALYSISLa Goulue au Moulin Rouge created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1891. It measures 189.99 x 116.51 cm and the support used is lithography. This work is an advertising poster for one of the most popular clubs in France, the Moulin Rouge. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter and illustrator but also a renewed designer and engraver. This poster contains a foreground, a middle ground and a background. The silhouettes of people in the background, the women dancing in the middle, the man facing left in the foreground. A linear perspective is created by the yellow/green lines on the ground. The male figure in the foreground is turned to the left, his eyes closed. He has a high hat on his head and a relatively long nose. His right hand is raised in greeting. The other arm is placed alongside his body but the hand is positioned directly outside his body. The man is colored in a dark red color, not used elsewhere on the poster. On the upper part of the poster, all the text is placed; “Moulin Rouge” repeated 3 times with a capital M bringing it all together, written in a bright red color with a small black outline. The “M” is placed on the left side and written large enough to align with the underlined text “La Goulue”. Just below, it is written “La Goulue” which means the greedy one, in fine black characters. Onthe right side of the top corner is "Concert Bal, tous les soirs", which means concert ball every evening. The text placed on three lines one below the other and centered. “Bal” is written in the thickest black font, “concert” is written less thickly, and “every evening” is written in a small pewter black font. The focus is on the dancer in the center of the poster. She is wearing a large white dress and a red top with white polka dots on it, and she has her back to the viewer. Her face is seen facing the right side of the poster as she raises her right foot which is half covered by the man in the foreground. She has yellow hair and her face is also pale yellow in color. Her shoes are long red high heels. In the middle of the left side, we can see a yellow shape made up of three circles melted together - the same yellow color as the dancers' hair. In the background we see a group of figures, probably all men. Wearing high hats (common in this period). Above some of the silhouettes on the right side, yellow semi-circle shapes can be seen which, closer to the right side, merge into a long shape that leaves the poster. The four main colors of this poster are red, yellow, black and white. Lautrec uses a warm color palette in this poster with different hues consisting of red and yellow. These are primary colors. The artist uses a high and low saturation range of red and yellow. As described in Christie's Art Nouveau, Fiona Gallagher is known for using "flattened blocks of color", meaning it is not three-dimensional but flat. Balance is achieved through symmetry and asymmetry. Lautrec uses diagonal perspective, which means that the elements of the poster are organized based on a diagonal line. This creates depth and dynamism in the poster. The yellow shape on the left side, the dancers' yellow hair, and the yellow shapes in the background together create a straight line of yellow color. The same with the red text in the upper left corner, the red shirt and the red high heels - together they create a straight line that interferes with the yellow line and together create a balance of primary colors. Asymmetry is created with the free placement of letters and text, but also contributes to harmony through the repetition of the same handwritten font, the use of color and the use of forward, backward rear and middle. This asymmetry combined with the symmetrical use of color and composition creates an energetic and balanced composition. The use of lines can be described as painting that refers to those who emphasize the play of light and dark. Lautrec is known for using expressive contour lines in his posters and this is also present in this poster. Pivolo Apéritif Aux Vins De France (1924) AM Cassandre, one of the most influential poster and graphic designers of the Art Deco style, created this poster for the French liqueur Pivolo Aperitif in 1924. Cassandre is well known for his unique advertising posters, slick and minimal designs promoting travel, alcohol and furniture. He is also considered one of the founders of modern graphic design. The poster measures 35.6 x 25.4 cm and its medium is lithography. The poster consists of three main elements: the title, the bird and the shot glass. Each element has been broken down into its basic shapes and forms. For example, the bird is made up of basic shapes such as circles, triangles, etc. The glass has been placed in the center, which creates harmony as it is the only object in the poster that contains a more vibrant color, as the rest is made up of different tonesof blue creating a central point for the viewer. The monochrome, simplified bird is placed behind the shot glass. The transparency of the glass highlights the dynamic shapes, namely the triangle in the wine glass, in the spout and the negative space between the glass and the spout. The bird is turned sideways and its open goblet is pointed towards the glass. The bird's eye is made up of a perfect white circle with a small blue circle in the middle where part has been removed - this eye catches the viewer's attention. There is text at the top and bottom of the work. Cassandre's use of minimalist typography fits with the rest of the work as it is also composed of basic geometric shapes. Together, these shapes create letters. The upper letters consist of black, blue tones and gray shapes. The letter "V" is perfectly placed in the center and aligned with the shot glass. The bottom text is placed in a gray rectangle and is also composed of geometric shapes of the same blue color. The type of lines used here can be categorized as linearity, which refers to the emphasis on line and linear contour. Cassandra uses solid, strong lines instead of lines divided into several small lines. He works with geometric shapes and this creates a static composition instead of a dynamic and rhythmic spectacle as seen in Lautrec's poster. This is a flat geometric poster composition that has no perspective or depth. This poster uses hues of blue and red which are both primary colors. It uses high and low saturated blue and red colors as well as saturated white and black colors. The shot glass features a range of orange and red tones that contrast with the cooler colors of the poster – gray, black and blue tones that are used throughout the poster and create a minimalist color palette. This poster is very still and has been broken down into its original geometric shapes. The poster elements are composed very statically, but due to their placement and choice of colors, together they create a dynamic poster composition. Semiotic Analysis Semiotics is the study of signs. In this article, I will compare the elements of the two posters to understand the artists' choices and recognize the different types of signs used. Semiotics is a theoretical way of analyzing how understanding is created, transferred, received and interpreted, and what reactions trigger signs. We view different elements of our world as signs and sign systems, which can range from words, images, and natural phenomena to objects. A sign should generally be understood as something that refers to something other than itself and, to some extent, as a meaning that must be understood or interpreted by someone. There are two ways to understand the meaning of a sign: denotation and connotation. Denotation meaning the literal dictionary description and connotation being the emotional meaning. There is often a positive and negative connotation to everything. The two most important functions of colors are to provide visual and psychological information and to generate reactions from the viewer. With colors, the designer can predict and provoke different reactions and control how the viewer perceives an object. Our emotions influence our perception of colors. We use colors to describe different emotions and express our feelings; “I was so angry, I saw red” or “I was green with envy”. The meaning of a color changes and is not constant; this is affected by contextcultural and period. Using Edith Anderson Feisner's book "How to Use Color in Art and Design" as a reference, I investigated the reasons for the specific color choices and interpreted their meanings in the two posters. The poster for Pivolo Apéritif Aux Vins De France (1924) uses blue and black. and red colors. The poster mainly uses blue and black tones specifically in the text and the bird. The liquor in the glass has a combination of saturated orange colors. The red-orange color was probably chosen because the actual color of the liquor is orange-red. The use of the red-orange color therefore probably does not have a deeper symbolic meaning. However, while it had a symbolic meaning, the color orange has both positive and negative connotations such as warmth, autumn, brightness, danger and cheekiness. Blue colors were most likely used because they complement the orange color of the glass. This places emphasis on the glass, which is an important element of the poster. The symbolism of the color blue was probably not the main reason for the choice but rather its contrast with orange. It can also be argued that the reason for using blue tones is that the positive connotation of blue includes loyalty, reliability, security and stability. Because of these associations with blue, it is often used in banking, technology, and government because they want to be associated with these terms. The use of the color blue can therefore be interpreted in two ways: it is complementary to the color orange and/or its positive symbolic connotations. As mentioned, this poster is advertising a French liqueur and is pictured in the glass, so it makes sense that it would stand out. As Feisner quotes: “Our bodies respond physically to color – warm colors will increase our blood pressure and even our body temperature; cool colors lower both blood pressure and body temperature and slow down our metabolism. This corresponds to the idea that the glass is the central element and should therefore capture the viewer's attention. The poster for La Goulue at the Moulin Rouge (1891) uses red, yellow, black, black and white. The use of yellow and red tones contrasts with the black silhouettes in the background and becomes the central element of the poster. In this poster, the color black has been used as a contrast to the bright colors, creating a more dynamic and balanced poster rather than its symbolic meaning. It was also used to create layers in the poster: foreground, midground and background. The club title "Moulin Rouge" is the only text that uses a very bright red color and therefore becomes the first text you read as it contrasts deeply with the rest of the black text. This was done on purpose to highlight the club's identity. As mentioned earlier, the positive connotations of red colors are also effective here. The color yellow, especially combined with black, is the first visible color. It has the second highest brightness rating after white. Its positive connotations include optimism, happiness, hope and cheerfulness. Thus, it can be said that orange was used to further highlight the club's identity. The combination of these colors creates a vibrant and energetic poster that piques the viewer's curiosity.TypographyThe text of the La Goulue au Moulin Rouge (1891) poster is composed of an organic and rhythmic handwritten typography that correlates with the style of Art Nouveau. In comparison, the Pivolo Apéritif poster is a combination of different geometric shapes that create.