It is always exciting to spot examples of early works by illustrators who then went on to become well-known artists. This advert from 1960 was for example created by Guido Crepax.
Born in Milan in 1933, Crepax was an architect and first started working as an illustrator, creating artworks for magazines, record covers, adverts and books and giving life to his most famous character - Valentina - in 1965. He was known for his adverts for Dunlop tyres and Terital textiles, but this specific advert was for swimwear sold at the Biraghi boutique in Milan.
This is a very architectural drawing in a way: it is indeed a vertical advert with the figure of a woman sunbathing on an inflatable floating bed, occuping the entire space. This scene would have been maybe depicted in a more traditional way using a horizontal layout or portraying the woman standing in an ordinary pose. Yet that would have been less entertaining and eye-catching, so Crepax subverted this simple concept, making the figure more interesting, turning her around and matching to her graphic swimsuit a spiky swimming cap that looks like an extravagant headdress. The advert layout anticipates the architectural frames of Crepax's Valentina graphic novels, while his attention to the most fashionable details developed throughout the years into his famous heroine's passion for fashion.
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