Three Gringos in Central America and Venezuela by Richard Harding Davis
Regarded as one of the most influential poster artists in America, Edward Penfield joined the publishing house Harper and Brothers at the age of twenty-five as a staff artist and editor. Shortly after his promotion to artistic director, Penfield created his first lithograph for Harper’s Magazine in 1893. Following its runaway success, he made posters advertising each successive issue of the magazine for over seven years. Magazine readers and poster collectors celebrated his designs for their boldness, abstraction, and occasional comic touch. Penfield also created advertisements and cover designs for books published by Harper and Brothers.
As the most acclaimed artist working for Harper’s, Penfield was free to experiment with avant-garde styles. Less concerned with the dramatic curving lines of Art Nouveau than his contemporaries, Penfield synthesized a number of stylistic sources in his work, including Japanese ukiyo-e prints and posters made by contemporary French and British artists. Penfield’s work for Harper’s displays a late nineteenth-century American type—the wealthy and well-appointed middle-class individual enjoying leisure time. Penfield himself was part of this newly emerging middle class.
Evoking Paul Gauguin’s representations of nude Tahitians, which reflect a sexual and racial fantasy forged from a position of patriarchal and colonialist power, Penfield’s poster advertises a group of short stories by war correspondent and adventure novelist, Richard Davis. The book’s title, Three Gringos, marks the protagonists (who represent Davis) as foreigners in the Spanish-speaking countries of Central and South America, where the writer often visited. This collection not only describes the author’s wanderlust but also weaves his personal objections to the use of U.S. forces to protect Venezuela and Central America into the stories.
As the most acclaimed artist working for Harper’s, Penfield was free to experiment with avant-garde styles. Less concerned with the dramatic curving lines of Art Nouveau than his contemporaries, Penfield synthesized a number of stylistic sources in his work, including Japanese ukiyo-e prints and posters made by contemporary French and British artists. Penfield’s work for Harper’s displays a late nineteenth-century American type—the wealthy and well-appointed middle-class individual enjoying leisure time. Penfield himself was part of this newly emerging middle class.
Evoking Paul Gauguin’s representations of nude Tahitians, which reflect a sexual and racial fantasy forged from a position of patriarchal and colonialist power, Penfield’s poster advertises a group of short stories by war correspondent and adventure novelist, Richard Davis. The book’s title, Three Gringos, marks the protagonists (who represent Davis) as foreigners in the Spanish-speaking countries of Central and South America, where the writer often visited. This collection not only describes the author’s wanderlust but also weaves his personal objections to the use of U.S. forces to protect Venezuela and Central America into the stories.
Artwork Details
- Title: Three Gringos in Central America and Venezuela by Richard Harding Davis
- Artist: Edward Penfield (American, Brooklyn, New York 1866–1925 Beacon, New York)
- Date: 1896
- Medium: Relief
- Dimensions: Sheet: 17 7/16 × 11 9/16 in. (44.3 × 29.4 cm)
Image: 11 15/16 × 10 9/16 in. (30.3 × 26.9 cm) - Classifications: Prints, Posters
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Lauder Foundation, Evelyn H. and Leonard A. Lauder Fund Gift, 1986
- Object Number: 1986.1005.8
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Edward Penfield
1916
Edward Penfield
1896
Edward Penfield
ca. 1918
Edward Penfield
1911
Edward Penfield
1922
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.