After the French elegance of Loupot and the British rawness of Crosby, we now come to an absolute masterpiece from our own soil. This poster for Spyker Cars, designed by the Dutch artist Pieter van der Hem.

In this poster we do not see roaring engines or muddy tracks, but the lifestyle that came with a Spyker. Interestingly, the Spyker itself is only half visible in the image. The focus is not on the technology, but on status. The car is the means that makes this luxurious life possible. The logo on the hubcap is unmistakable, however: this is a Spyker.

Pieter van der Hem

Van der Hem spent much of his youth in Paris, Rome and Madrid. He was fascinated by life in the cabarets, the casinos and on the boulevards. He had a unique talent for capturing the "chic world" without making it feel stiff. For Spyker, a brand that wanted to compete with the absolute world elite, he was the obvious choice to convey the right atmosphere of luxury and nonchalance.

If you look closely at his work, you will see that he often has a loose, sketch-like touch, even in a tightly printed poster. He leaves out details where they are not needed (such as the background) in order to place the full focus on the interaction between the people and their exclusive possession.

When you look at the original now, you can sometimes still feel or see the slight texture of the layers of ink, which gives the poster an almost painterly depth.