1 Hé, regardez ici les gens ! Fenêtres Rosta Circa 1920

This striking circa 1920 original poster by Mikhail Cheremnykh is part of the celebrated ROSTA Windows (Okna ROSTA) series, one of the most innovative and influential graphic art movements of the Russian avant-garde period.

Entitled “Hey, People, Look Here!”, the poster represents the opening panel of a narrative sequence, indicated by the number 1 at the bottom of the composition. Like many ROSTA Window works, it was designed to capture immediate public attention through direct language, bold imagery, and a highly simplified visual style. The figure appears to call out to passersby, inviting them to follow the unfolding story or political message presented in the subsequent panels.

Created during the years immediately following the Russian Revolution, ROSTA Windows served as a unique form of public communication. Produced under the auspices of the Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA), these posters were displayed in shop windows, railway stations, and public buildings throughout Soviet Russia. Combining visual satire, political commentary, and popular storytelling, they functioned as an accessible medium in a society where literacy levels varied widely.

Mikhail Cheremnykh (1890–1962) was among the principal creators of the movement and one of its most influential graphic innovators. Working alongside figures such as Vladimir Mayakovsky, he helped develop a visual language characterized by powerful silhouettes, simplified forms, vivid color contrasts, and concise slogans. The resulting works were both artistically modern and exceptionally effective as mass communication.

The composition perfectly illustrates the aesthetic principles of the ROSTA Windows. The figures are reduced to essential shapes and gestures, allowing the message to be understood instantly. The contrast between the dark-clad peasant figure and the bright red silhouette creates a dynamic visual tension, while the hand-painted stencil technique gives the image a remarkable sense of spontaneity and energy.

ROSTA Window posters were generally produced rapidly using stencil methods that enabled multiple copies to be created and distributed in response to current events. Because they were intended as temporary displays, relatively few original examples survived, making authentic works from the series particularly rare today.

Beyond their political purpose, these posters occupy an important place in the history of twentieth-century graphic design. Their influence can be seen in later developments in advertising, political communication, illustration, and modern poster art. The bold visual economy pioneered by Cheremnykh and his collaborators remains remarkably contemporary more than a century later.

As the introductory panel of a narrative sequence, “Hey, People, Look Here!” embodies the directness, humor, and visual power that made the ROSTA Windows one of the defining artistic achievements of revolutionary Russia. Today, original examples are highly prized by collectors of Russian avant-garde art, Soviet graphic design, and early twentieth-century political posters.

This circa 1920 original poster stands as both a historical document and a landmark work of modern visual communication, capturing the revolutionary spirit and artistic innovation of one of the most fascinating periods in graphic art history.

Original Poster

Propaganda - Russia

Good condition