Different Strokes for Different Folks/Penn
1986
Artist
Seymour Chwast
DIMENSIONS
21 x 24 in. (53.3 x 61 cm)
OBJECT NUMBER
PH.4289
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
United States
CREDIT LINE
Poster House Permanent Collection
KEYWORDS
College, Education, Nautical, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Sports, Transportation

In his poster promoting the University of Pennsylvania, Chwast represents the proverb in the tagline rather literally, emphasizing the many opportunities open to potential students with an image of the members of the rowing crew of a scull on the river, each one dressed to represent a different career. Among his characteristically comic details here, Chwast includes Benjamin Franklin, the university’s founder and its first president, in the boat as well as a group of windows on the river wall suggesting a face. The various international landmarks seen in the background landscape, including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa hint at the university’s cosmopolitanism and the places a Penn education might lead.

For inquiries about image licensing, please contact collections@posterhouse.org.

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