The facades of cinema painted by hand in Madrid from the late twentieth and early twenty first centuries

Abstract

This article addresses a theme that has completely disappeared due to the emergence of digital media and screens, leaving a gap in the history of film design due to the ephemeral nature of its creation. It is about the design of hand-painted cinema facades, which once fulfilled their task in cinemas were replaced to give way to a new function. The cinema facades presented a design and style between the fidelity of the original poster in small format and the kitsch. The façade-posters received the original, from the distributor, and were responsible and was in charge of reproducing it in large dimensions. According to their skill, there could be similarities with the main characters of the film. The last craftsman's workshop disappeared in 2010 and was in charge of painting film posters for the Palacio de la Prensa cinema in Madrid. In conclusion, the importance of recording the history of the language of this graphic and methodical process in the field of Film becomes clear.