England Lithographic Poster by Feliks Topolski

This Original Lithographic Poster depicting two guardsmen created by the late Polish-born London-based artist, Feliks Topolski is one of 500 printed by Selfridges to be used as banners in its decorations to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. As it happened, the department store abandoned its original scheme involving banners and the posters were discarded. It is believed that most of the impressions of the initial print run of 500 were lost and about 100 were saved by a far-sighted employee of Selfridges. Poster specialists reckon that there are not more than 15 originals still in existence for sale today in a collectible condition. So this iconic creation of Topolski’s ranks as a truly rare poster today. Condition : Excellent Biographical Note on Feliks Topolski (1907 - 1989); Feliks Topolski was born in Poland on August 14th 1907. He first studied at the Warsaw Academy of Art, then moved to work first in Italy and then France. In 1935 he came over to England and founded a studio in Waterloo where there is still a free permanent exhibition which chronicles the 20th century.Master alike of big murals and ‘small scribbles’ as he called his work of lesser proportions, Topolski was described by Bernard Shaw as ‘an astonishing draughtsman’. His pictures are highly collectible and remain as vivid and relevant today as when they were drawn, some more than 50 years ago. Topolski was one of the official war artists during World War Ii and painted scenes of the Battle of Britain and other battlefields. Settling himself in London, he became a British citizen in 1947. Topolski painted portraits of a number of contemporaries, including such eminent literary figures as Hg Wells, Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene and John Mortimer and politicians like Harold Macmillan and Aneurin Bevan. He also painted a number of murals, designed theatrical sets and contributed to Bbc programmes. Examples of his work are held by the British Museum, Tate Gallery, Imperial War Museum and the National Museum in Warsaw, Poland. Topolski died in London on August 24th 1989 and is buried at the Highgate Cemetry.