CLARENCE COLES PHILLIPS (1880-1927)
138
●
LIGHT CONSUMES COAL. Circa 1918.
27
1
/
4
x20
1
/
4
inches, 69
1
/
4
x51
1
/
4
cm. Edwards Deutsch & Litho Co. Chicago.
Condition B: repaired tears and restored losses at edges, some affecting image and text; creases, abrasions,
restoration and overpainting in margins and image. Trimmed.
In what is perhaps the most “artistic” of the American World War I posters, Phillips unites the bold,
direct elements of German object posters by artists such as Lucien Bernhard with the intricate swirls
and patterns of American Art Nouveau in the style of William Bradley. Interestingly, while it may
echo the work of European artists (specifically a 1907 image by Peter Behrens featuring a light bulb),
the poster represents a drastic divergence from Phillips’ usual style. He was nationally known for his
“fadeaway girls,” which graced the covers of Life Magazine from 1908 onward. In these images, which
stylistically borrowed from both the Beggarstaff Brothers and Ludwig Hohlwein, Phillips featured
attractive young women whose clothing was the same color as the background, forcing the viewers to
complete the image with their imagination. Rawls p. 20, Modern American 28, Darracott p. 36.
[4,000/6,000]
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