''The Swan'' - 1925 - art by Eric Rohman

A vintage Swedish movie poster of ''The Swan'' - a 1925 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Dimitri Buchowetzki. This film is based on the... more

by Movie World Posters

Title

''The Swan'' - 1925 - art by Eric Rohman

Artist

Movie World Posters

Medium

Mixed Media - Photograph

Description

A vintage Swedish movie poster of ''The Swan'' - a 1925 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Dimitri Buchowetzki. This film is based on the 1920 play of the same name by Ferenc Molnár and was adapted for the screen by Frances Marion.

The story of "The Swan" revolves around Princess Alexandra, portrayed by Frances Howard, a young woman from a European royal family. The princess is expected to marry a prince, but she harbors feelings for her tutor, Dr. Nicholas Agi, played by Adolphe Menjou. The film explores themes of love, duty, and the clash between personal desires and societal expectations.

One of the central elements of the story is the swan theme, with the idea that a princess can only marry a commoner if she finds a swan with a crown. This symbolism plays a significant role in the plot, as it represents Alexandra's search for true love.

"The Swan" is notable for its elegant set designs, particularly the opulent palace interiors, which contribute to the film's visual appeal. It also features a strong cast, with Frances Howard delivering a compelling performance as Princess Alexandra and Adolphe Menjou providing depth to the character of Dr. Agi.

Released in 1925, "The Swan" was made during the silent film era, a time when storytelling relied heavily on visual expression and intertitles to convey dialogue and narrative. The film reflects the romantic and dramatic themes that were popular during that era.

While "The Swan" may not be as widely remembered today as some other silent film classics, it remains an interesting adaptation of a play and provides a glimpse into the romantic and aristocratic themes that were prevalent in entertainment during the early 20th century.

About the artist:

Eric Wilhelm Rohman (May 18, 1891, Nyköping, Sweden— Jan. 6, 1949, Stockholm) was a Swedish illustrator and advertising artist.

The crisp and essential style of Rohman is striking in his movie posters. His traits are well outlined and sharp and give life to the characters; he uses few colors and is never too loud, he has a great originality in managing the composition and the construction of space.

The Swedish artist creates movie posters that are caricatured and powerful in the representation, with high graphic settings. He depicts essential backgrounds of cities, apartment interiors, airplanes, bars, or simple backgrounds with geometric patterns. Rohman's posters attract the audience's attention creating curious scenes, geometric and coherent in the narrative but never static. That never gets boring.

He was raised in Helsingborg, where he discovered a passion for drawing and acting after his undergraduate education. To satisfy his newfound craving, he spent years studying under Swedish painter and illustrator Carl Wilhelmson at the Gothenburg Academy of the Arts. He took side work creating advertising illustrations for newspapers to pay his tuition. He also designed and drew several book covers and books.

Rohman had a brother who managed a large chain of theaters, which needed a constant supply of original art for film posters. Rohman then began working for his brother, which launched his career as a poster designer. In 1921 he was the only person in Sweden who worked full-time creating poster illustrations.

However, to fulfill the theater's demand, he had to work quickly. As a result, he designed four or five posters every week. But he was nonetheless generally still able to bring out the essential details of the film and its actors to express the essence of a film's theme.

Search "Rohman" to see more of his art.

Uploaded

August 22nd, 2021