Harper’s, March
1895
Edward Penfield revolutionized American publishing in 1895 by turning magazine covers from cluttered text lists into bold, graphic statements. Here, massive orange letters announce the March issue of Harper's while a stylish couple—she in a towering black hat, he in a crisp white coat—strolls past a row of horse-drawn carriages. The flat colors and simplified shapes borrow heavily from Japanese woodblock prints and French posters, defining the American Art Nouveau style. As the art director for Harper's, Penfield essentially invented the modern magazine cover, proving that less is definitely more.
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