An illustration gouache painting created for use as a poster in a 1937 English museum exhibit in South Kensington. Imagery is a reflection on the ongoing industrial revolution which was occurring throughout much of the world at the time of creation, and captures the public’s fascination with the machine, science and industry as they were to intersect in what has become known as “The Machine Age.” The artist deftly uses elements of Russian Constructivist poster design which emphasizes the particular material properties of an object added with it’s three dimensional spatial presence. This design aesthetic was very tied into Industry and Modernism and became harmonious with the graphics and imagery associated with the machine age.

This illustration painting is signed on the verso by the artist Eileen McKinney.

Above: Verso signature

Above: Verso date of April 3, 1937