The poster is a versatile marketing tool widely used from the 19th century to today for everything from political events to movies. A good poster has many layers, it goes beyond advertising and makes statements about style, history, fashion, and taste at the time. It is these layers that can turn a poster into a work of art. This book showcases 480 posters by more than 200 artists and designers and tells a comprehensive history of the poster. The book includes art nouveau, Bauhaus, pop art, and contemporary posters from preeminent artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Egon Schiele, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol and from noted designers ranging from Lucian Bernhard and A.M. Cassadre to Saul Bass, Tadanori Yokoo, and Stefan Sagmeister. The book also introduces many other leading poster designers whose names are less well-known. Contemporary advertisements for Calvin Klein, United Colors of Benetton, and Coachella are also explored. By tracing the history of the poster, this book shows social developments throughout the world and illuminates how art styles have changed over time.

Lichtenstein's art is most recognizable for its trademark benday dots and two-dimensional planes, cartoonlike qualities that placed him at the forefront of the American Pop Art scene. With its emphasis on consumer culture, Lichtenstein's style lent itself easily to the poster genre. This volume opens with his earliest poster, designed for his first exhibition at Leo Castelli Gallery in 1962, and closes with his last, which he completed the year of his death. An additional section features reproductions from the Claus von Olden collection and includes posters and flyers that were produced all over the world using Lichtenstein's iconic motifs. The works reflect Lichtenstein's prolific imagination and ability to adapt his vision to the promotion of music and film festivals, theatrical performances, museums, restaurants, and public service messages as well as his own exhibitions. An essay discusses Lichtenstein's development as an artist who blurred the boundaries between lowbrow and highbrow art. The book also includes an illustrated biography of the artist.