Description
This is an original lithograph for Avlt & Wiborg from 1897, a masterclass in ornamental design by William Bradley. Where commercial advertising could have been straightforward, Bradley transformed the ink company’s announcement into a jewel-box composition: orange flowers cascade down both sides of the page in a perfectly symmetrical frame, creating an Art Nouveau garden around the company’s essential information.
The design demonstrates Bradley’s genius for making industrial commerce feel like fine art. Manufacturers of lithographic and letterpress printing inks hardly sounds poetic, yet Bradley’s treatment—the precision of the floral border, the balanced typography, the rich color palette—elevates a simple product announcement into something collectors treasure more than a century later. This is Bradley’s philosophy made visual: great design transforms everything it touches.
The formal symmetry here contrasts beautifully with his other Avlt & Wiborg work, showing the breadth of his approach to the same client. Whether through narrative composition or ornamental structure, Bradley found ways to make ink companies look like they were manufacturing beauty itself. The company’s multiple manufacturing centers—Cincinnati, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and London—are listed with quiet authority at the bottom, supported by the visual confidence of his design.
This original lithograph is in excellent condition, professionally mounted and ready to frame. A smaller-format piece that packs remarkable visual impact. Accompanied by Certificate of Authenticity.
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