''The Jolson Story'', 1946 - art by Anselmo Ballester

A vintage movie poster reprint of ''The Jolson Story'', with Larry Parks and Evelyn Keyes, 1946.

About the artist:

Anselmo Ballester... more

by Movie World Posters

Title

''The Jolson Story'', 1946 - art by Anselmo Ballester

Artist

Movie World Posters

Medium

Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Posters

Description

A vintage movie poster reprint of ''The Jolson Story'', with Larry Parks and Evelyn Keyes, 1946.

About the artist:

Anselmo Ballester (1897–1974) was a noted Italian painter and film poster designer from Rome. He was the son of Federico Ballester (Rome, 1868–1926), a painter of Spanish origins. Inspired by his father's artistic endeavors growing up, Anselmo completed his first works at 15.

After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, he specialized in film advertising for the most important silent film production houses. He created posters and other advertising material for CINES, Caesar Film, Tespi Film, Cosmopolis, Guazzoni Film, Titanus, Minerva, Fox, Paramount, Manenti, Sangraf, Tirrenia, Lo Deserto, Nazionalcine, Sabaudia, Bassoli, Eagle Lion, Rank, RKO, and De Laurentiis.

In his studio in Rome, via della Croce 50a (then via della Passeggiata Ripetta 19), he spent almost 50 years creating thousands of sketches for playbills and paintings for film posters. He went on to form the design company BCM along with two other prominent Italian poster artists, Alfredo Capitani and Luigi Martinati. His posters have sold at auction for considerable sums; the poster he created for "The Lady from Shanghai," for example, sold for $25,000 in 2015.

The movie posters Ballester created between the 1930s and 1950s showcased his unique painting style using tempera medium and bold colors. They typically featured one or two significant characters. His style is reminiscent of pulp fiction covers and, like the best cinema advertisements, were infused with intrigue, conflict, and passion. His works were uncomplicated yet rich in detail, a techniqe and style he himself describes:

"To become a creator of film posters ... it is necessary to study passionately, always to draw and paint everything from the truth. Then you can let your imagination run free. Whether you are creating a work of art, or a more humble advertising poster, you must be able to attract the interest of the public, to satisfy both the most refined people and the roughest, who are the majority."

He was written about in "Anselmo Ballester: the Origins of the Film Poster," published by the University of Parma, Study Center and Communication Archive in 1981. In addition, Dave Kerr made extensive use of his images in his 2003 book, "Italian Film Posters, "published by The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Permanent collections of his work are displayed at the University of Parma, Communication Studies Center and Archive (CSAC) and the Cinema Museum in Brush, Montecosaro.

Search by the artist's last name to see more of his art.

Uploaded

April 23rd, 2021