Moorcroft Lady Of The Rose Vase

Designer: Nicola Slaney

Size: H 18cm

Shape: 35/7

Limited Edition 15

In 1901, James Herbert McNair (1868-1955) designed a poster for the Liverpool Academy of Arts First Annual Exhibition.  The colour palette of the poster was limited with only green, pink and red enhancing the fine black linework.  The main focus of the design was an Art Nouveau style lady, whose dark brown hair flowed around her face.  She stared directly at the viewer while holding a single red rose. 

 The aim of the Liverpool Academy of Arts was to make art accessible to those who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to connect with it.  This ethos resonated with Nicola who has championed the work of McNair in the past, as the least well known of ‘The Four’ – who together with Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Frances and Margaret MacDonald became synonymous with the 20^th Century Art Nouveau movement and advocated the Arts and Crafts ideals in their handcrafted designs.  McNair’s original poster is housed in the National Museum Liverpool (Walker Art Gallery).