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"Very nice Posters. The quality is amazing and we received it very quickly !"
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"A shop to visit absolutely. Huge selection of posters. We spent more than an hour there !"
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"Perfect to find gift. Price are very good. An they can frame and pack it on site"
About the Artist
Created by an anonymous artist, this 1833 poster reflects the early nineteenth-century fascination with public spectacle and the marketing of human curiosities. At a time when traveling exhibitions and sideshows captivated audiences, such posters played a crucial role in drawing crowds with promises of the unusual and extraordinary. Captain Costentenus, a tattooed performer, was promoted as a living marvel, his body and story serving as both entertainment and a window into distant cultures.
This work stands as a document of social history and early graphic advertising, resonating with our vintage advertising posters and the narrative intrigue found in classic art prints.
The Artwork
The poster was designed to announce Captain Costentenus’s appearance, using his tattooed body as the main attraction. In the context of 1830s entertainment, such imagery was intended to spark curiosity and wonder, blurring the line between education and spectacle. The poster not only promoted a specific event but also contributed to the broader culture of showmanship and public fascination with the unusual.
It served as both an invitation and a promise of an encounter with the extraordinary, reflecting the era’s appetite for novelty and sensation.
Style & Characteristics
The composition features a full-length portrait of Captain Costentenus, his tattooed skin rendered in detailed black linework. The typography is bold and highly legible, designed to capture attention from afar. The background is a warm beige, evoking the look of aged paper, while subtle touches of blue and red enliven the otherwise monochrome palette.
This balance of clarity and theatricality gives the poster its distinctive vintage character, making it a compelling example of nineteenth-century graphic design.
In Interior Design
This vintage poster adds narrative depth to studies, libraries, or creative workspaces, where its historical intrigue invites closer inspection. It pairs well with antique furnishings, dark woods, and brass accents for a cabinet of curiosities effect, or can be framed simply for a more modern presentation.
It also complements gallery walls featuring beige toned wall decor or other vintage advertising posters for a cohesive, story-rich display.