“This captivating zincograph for *The Chicago Sunday Tribune* showcases a bold, stylized woman and dynamic lines, a prime example of late 19th-century poster art transforming commercial illustration into a vibrant art form.”
A stylized woman, her hair flowing like tendrils of smoke, gazes out from this striking advertisement for The Chicago Sunday Tribune. Her profile is sharply defined against a background of swirling, almost Art Nouveau-esque lines, creating a sense of dynamic movement despite the static pose. The bold, flat colors and strong outlines are characteristic of the emerging poster art of the late 19th century, a period when artists began to explore new ways to capture attention in a rapidly modernizing world. This zincograph, a printmaking technique similar to lithography, allowed for the mass production of such eye-catching designs, making high-quality art accessible on newspaper stands and city walls. It reflects a moment when commercial illustration was transforming into a significant art form, influencing everything from graphic design to fine art.
- Artist
- William H. Bradley
- Date
- 1888
- Medium
- Zincograph on paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Image: 54 × 40.3 cm (21 5/16 × 15 7/8 in.); Sheet: 54.9 × 41 cm (21 5/8 × 16 3/16 in.)
- Collection
- Prints and Drawings
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Gift of George F. Porter
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The woman’s hair, which twists into elegant, flame-like shapes.
The intricate, almost calligraphic lines that fill the background.
The way the text "The Chicago Sunday Tribune" is integrated into the design.
The limited color palette of black, white, and a muted yellow-orange.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through The Chicago Sunday Tribune — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
William H. Bradley
1868–1962Further Works by Bradley
Bradley His Book - June
1888 · Art Institute of Chicago
Whiting's Ledger Papers
1888 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Blue Lady: Poster Advertising the Chap-Book
1894 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Twins
1894 · Art Institute of Chicago
Thanksgiving, for The Chap-Book
1895 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Modern Poster
1895 · Art Institute of Chicago
Harper's Weekly-Christmas, 1899
1899 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond Bradley: works from the same years.
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Woman Walking in a Garden
Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Léon Clapisson
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Landscape from Arles
Paul Gauguin · 1888 · Nationalmuseum
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress
Paul Cézanne · 1888 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Cows Drinking at a Pool
William Hart · 1886 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Stacks of Wheat (End of Day, Autumn)
Claude Monet · 1890 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Street in Moret
Alfred Sisley · 1890 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Two Girls Reading in a Garden
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1890
