EDWARD MCKIGHT KAUFFER (1890-1954) SUMMER SHELL. 1939. 29 7/8x44 7/8 inches. Condition A-: repaired tears in left and right margins. Throughout the 1930s Kauffer enjoyed a long, fruitful and creative relationship with B. P. Shell and the company's director of publicity, Jack Beddington. Depending on the type of campaign, Kauffer would alter his style from the most rigorous geometrism to soft poetical illustration. These two posters were the last Kauffer designed for Shell before leaving for the United States in 1940. Unlike A. M. Cassandre, whose attempt at depicting landscapes remained cold and rigid, Kauffer created a string of exquisite, slightly stylized landscapes. In these two posters he successfully explores a new concept in his graphic design -- still life. The straw hat on the green grass and the apple sensitively evoke the seasons, while gently delivering the message that Shell is effective year-round. Kauffer p. 132, Shell no. 84.
