Beautiful Macabre: Rare and Peculiar Posters 1862-1971

by Thomas Negovan

Sinister and sensual artworks from the Golden Age of vintage poster art! Beautiful Macabre, the second in the softcover poster book series from the Century Guild Museum of Art, features over 70 rare images from the museum's archives. Many–if not most–of the images are not available on the internet. See them here in a fantastic resolution that allows you to view the magnificent details of the artwork with full-page, full-color images and historical commentary!

The Century Guild Museum of Art is dedicated to providing a historical context to popular culture, primarily by exhibiting Art Nouveau and Symbolist artworks 1880-1920. Founded in 1999 as an art gallery, the personal mission of founder Thomas Negovan has always been to educate and inspire by creating a bridge of understanding between the late 19th century and the present- especially to unsuspecting yet passionate audiences; one notable example being the exhibition of museum-level Art Nouveau to the over 100,000 art lovers annually attending San Diego Comic Con.

The museum is focused primarily on the presentation of Art Nouveau and Symbolist works from Germany, Austria, France and Italy 1880-1920, including the lithography of historically significant artists such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Alphonse Mucha alongside the finest examples of Art Nouveau objects including Amphora and Massier pottery, and artifacts from the golden eras of Silent Film and Cabaret.

For nearly twenty years Century Guild has exhibited rare artworks in venues as varied as L.A. Art, The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair, and San Diego Comic Con. Works previously in the Century Guild collection have been displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Detroit Institute of Art, and LACMA.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

92 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Thomas Negovan is the founder of Century Guild, a private museum, art gallery, and archive specializing in artworks 1880-1920 with emphasis on Art Nouveau & Symbolism.

Reviews

[Bill Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Negovan is a living cultural treasure, a scholar, connoisseur, and collector of art and artifacts that reflect the darker corners of Western culture over the past 130 or so years. His press is also producing some beautiful books, like this eclectic compendium of poster art from fin de siècle France, Weimar Germany, and other eras, including mid-20th Century exploitation film posters. Every image is accompanied by an essay on its place in time, its artist (if known), and its reflection in the culture around it. The effect is like being taken on a tour by an affable, knowledgeable guide. Be warned, though, some of the exhibits are surprisingly, suitably horrifying. There are propaganda posters, political visual screeds, and a fair portion of genuine grue. Great stuff all around.

[Llorona De Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous!! I’m so happy to have my very first Century Guild Press book!! This book is perfect for any art history lover!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the updated 2024 version. Gorgeous, worth collecting.