ART DECO GLAMOR IN SHANGHAI:
1915-1938
ON VIEW: January 25th-March 1st, 2025
In celebration of the Chinese New Year, gallery neptune & brown is pleased to announce our new exhibition, Art Deco Glamor In Shanghai 1914-1935. This exhibition will showcase Chinese Art Deco lithographic posters from the early 20th century.
With the early 20th century’s political shifts and economic changes in China came a surge in international trade and commerce, as major corporations sought to reach Chinese audiences. As a result, both Chinese and foreign companies embraced advertising posters which were well known in the West. Prominent brands such as Standard Oil of New York, Eveready Batteries, British-American Tobacco and Bayer Aspirin gained widespread recognition through these visually captivating posters which often contained calendars for the coming year.
Despite their use as advertisements, the color lithograph poster further served as an artistic expression that highlighted the culture of glamor in Shanghai. While the advertised product and company names are prominently displayed, often along the borders, the central focus of the posters are often captivating figurative subjects. Calendar posters of the early 1910s featured traditional New Year imagery or historical and literary references. By the 1920s and 1930s, advertising posters shifted to showcase glamorous women, dressed in modern and fashionable outfits portrayed in stylish settings. This change reflected the growing independence of urban Chinese women. Common motifs within the later posters included luxury furnishings and locations, modern technology, and the advertised products that symbolized prosperity and beauty, reinforcing the allure of the women depicted.
With bold colors and intricate details, these posters not only showcased luxury, modernity, and consumer culture but also became ubiquitous in Chinese homes as decorative pieces—symbolizing the prosperity and allure of the era. The Japanese invasion in the late 1930’s ended an era in which the glamor depicted served as both an artistic and historical record of a transformative period of elegance in Shanghai society.
For further information, please contact Rober Brown: rbgal2@gmail.com or phone 202.986.1200.
Shiheng
A. Lopato Sons, Ltd, 1930
[118]
Lithograph
40 ¼ x 15 inches
Available Works:
