This vintage film poster by the wonderful Waldemar Swierzy is one of the most sensational, iconic and collectible Polish posters of all time. He designed it in 1973 for equally iconic film ‘Midnight Cowboy’ (Nocny Kowboj) directed by John Schlesinger, and starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. The 1969 movie was a cult hit and won three Academy Awards; it was also the first LGBTQ related film to win Best Picture.

“While many film and theatre posters entice viewers with direct eye contact and a strong emotional connection, others build tension by denying that basic human satisfaction. The giant brimmed hat featured in Waldemar Swierzy’s 1973 film poster for Midnight Cowboy hides the character’s eyes. The portrait focuses our attention on the man’s full, ripe lips while suppressing feelings of intimacy or understanding. Swierzy’s poster starkly translates the emotional conflict of this grim film about the life and death of a male prostitute.” (Ellen Lupton, Senior Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum).

Polish A1 size: 59 x 81.5 cm / 62 x 84 cm linen backing

Condition: this poster has been previously folded and is now linen backed. Please note that the colours have faded a little over time and the poster is priced to reflect that. All the photographs are of the actual but the colours are showing up a little differently. Please get in touch if you’d like to see more images.