SARASOTA, FLA.- Celebrate 100 years of sleek geometric shapes, bold linear designs and vibrant colors with “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration,” on view Aug. 31, 2025-March 29, 2026 at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design.

“Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” features 100 rare and iconic posters from the 1920s and 1930s, with subjects ranging from automobiles, airlines and ocean liners to drinks and tobacco. All the posters included in Sarasota Art Museum’s exhibition are from the William W. Crouse Collection, considered to be one of the most important private collections in the world. Lenders Bill and Elaine Crouse own thousands of posters produced by Art Deco’s most esteemed artists, including Lester Beall, Leonetto Cappiello, Jean Carlu, A. M. Cassandre, Paul Colin, Austin Cooper, Jules Courvoisier, Edward McKnight Kauffer, Charles Loupot, Leo Marfurt, Gert Sellheim, Federico Seneca and Roger de Valerio.


Paul Colin (French, 1892-1985). Leroy: Premier Opticien de Paris, 1938. Lithograph, 62 1/2 x 45 1/2 in. Collection of the Crouse Family. Image credit: Courtesy of Poster House.

“Before the age of television and digital media, printed graphic posters seduced viewers with eye-catching advertisements. These posters offered images of longed-for convenience, indulgent tastes, novel entertainments and solutions to troubles consumers never knew they had,” said Rangsook Yoon, senior curator at Sarasota Art Museum. “They were selling desires, serving as visual billboards of what living modernity would look like. These stunning posters highlight Art Deco as a style and movement that aligned with the modernity in the turbulent early 20th century.”

The 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris marked the official birth of the art form. Initially, Art Deco’s stylized forms symbolized wealth and luxury, signaling a pivotal shift in design preferences. Following the Great Depression, Art Deco evolved to represent mass production, industrialism and efficiency, showcasing the style’s enduring adaptability and influence.


Scotti (Argentinian, 1901-1957). Mar del Plata, 1930. Lithograph, 43 1/4 x 29 in. Collection of the Crouse Family. Image credit: Courtesy of Poster House.

“Elaine and I were drawn to Art Deco because of its timeless, sleek and streamlined designs. We have been collecting Art Deco objects and furniture for more than 40 years, and we are still in awe that these modern looking pieces are 80 to 100 years old,” said Bill Crouse.

Among the works which will be on view at Sarasota Art Museum are posters by A.M. Cassandre (French, 1901-1968) and Roger de Valerio (French, 1886-1951). Cassandre, a French painter, commercial poster artist and typeface designer, won first prize for one of his designs during the 1925 Exposition in Paris. His works, often infused with Cubism, incorporated bold typefaces and graphic elements composed with sharp, clean lines. Cassandre’s “L'Intransigeant” (1925), an advertisement commissioned by a French daily newspaper, was created to convey the rapid nature with which the publication could deliver information. The advertisement includes a shouting newsboy whose ear is attached to a telegraph, likening the newspaper’s speed to that of radio. Cassandre’s “Coupe Davis” (1932), a poster for an international tennis match, draws viewers onto the court with an oversized tennis ball eclipsing a slender silhouette behind the net. De Valerio’s “Chrysler” (1930) communicates the speed of the new industrial era with sharp lines on both the pastel automobile and driver that put the car in motion, beckoning viewers to visit the Chrysler showroom to see the car in person.


Anonymous. Tungsram Radio-Röhren, 1933. Lithograph, 46 3/4 x 33 1/2 in. Collection of the Crouse Family. Image credit: Courtesy of Poster House.

In addition to 100 iconic posters, the exhibition includes an impressive selection of sculptural pieces and vintage cocktail shakers from the Crouse Collection as well as furniture from The Wolfsonian-Florida International University in Miami. The objects on view showcase the luxurious materials and finishes that dominated the era, including rich woods, glass, chrome, stainless steel and brass. They reflect the exuberance, innovation and modern design of the Machine Age, balancing mass production with artisanal craftsmanship.

Highlights include cocktail shakers and barware modeled after airplanes, zeppelin airships, a lighthouse and a silo made by esteemed manufacturers such as Gorham, J.A. Henckels, Lambert Brothers, Ruddspeed and the International Silver Company, as well as several nickel-plated brass sculptures of abstract busts by Franz Hagenauer. Also featured is a selection of elegant furniture and lighting pieces by visionaries like Gio Ponti, whose prolific output reshaped 20th-century design. Other standouts include a sideboard designed by Vittorio Valabrega, whose Turin-based firm gained international acclaim for its Liberty-style craftsmanship; a second sideboard from the Florida Tropical House, originally designed for the 1933 Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago and linked to Ralph Widdicomb; and a bench from the Cincinnati Union Terminal designed by Paul Cret in 1933.


Károly Gerster (Hungarian, 1859-1940). Budapest Grand Prix, 1936. Lithograph, 37 1/4 x 24 3/4 in. Collection of the Crouse Family. Image credit: Courtesy of Poster House.

“Art Deco is all around us – from the iconic Chrysler Building and Empire State Building in New York to Miami’s historic Art Deco district. ‘Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration’ is not merely a journey back to the roaring twenties and thirties; it’s a vibrant testament to an aesthetic that profoundly shaped a century of design and remains a relevant part of art, architecture and fashion,” said Virginia Shearer, Sarasota Art Museum’s executive director.

“Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” is organized by Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design and curated by Rangsook Yoon, senior curator at Sarasota Art Museum.