The Pony Express
Batiste Madalena
American, 1902–1988
1925
A 1925 tempera on poster board movie poster in which the artist compresses speed and romance into a single image to sell the film by turning a lone rider and horse into a dramatic emblem of adventure.
What hits you first is the urgent, calligraphic black-and-red brushwork—the white horse and cloaked rider surge forward from the cream ground while bold red lettering grounds the title like a shout.
It exemplifies how hand-painted film posters of the 1920s blended commercial illustration and mythmaking, helping define the visual language of cinematic promotion and the Western genre.
Medium
Tempera on poster board
Dimensions
Overall: 44 x 24 5/8" (111.8 x 62.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Judith and Steven Katten
Accession
F1981
Palette
Exhibitions
