Carnival! Mackintosh’s toffee de luxe 1930

Jean d'Ylen made this lithograph poster for Mackintosh’s toffee, and you get the sense he had fun doing it, like he was in the carnival spirit himself. There’s this great flattening out of space that gives the image its punch, so even though the figures are rendered with some detail, the color palette and bold lines really bring it forward. I love how the yellow of the woman's dress and legs just pops against the black background. It’s a simple color, but it’s used to great effect here, creating a sense of energy and excitement. The texture of the lithograph is smooth, almost glossy, which adds to the slick, commercial feel of the piece. But if you look closely, you can see the layering of colors, especially in the shading of the figures. It’s like d’Ylen is letting us in on the process, showing us how he built up the image layer by layer. This kind of playful, bold design reminds me of someone like Cassandre, who was also doing amazing poster work around the same time. It just goes to show how artists are always in conversation with each other, riffing on ideas and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.