Anatomy of a Painting: John Parry's The Poster Man
1835: The golden age of the pasted advertisement.
“Have you seen The Industrious Fleas?” So enquires a lop-sided banner to the centre-top of this painting. It provides no further details. Where should we go? What will we see? Are The Industrious Fleas a troupe of hardworking insects, or an indie rock band from Wigan?
This curious watercolour, painted in 1835…