A lone, unclothed figure astride a winged horse soars above a crowd of indistinct heads, framed by the swirling banner of Basel—a spiral motif unmistakable to anyone who knows the city’s coat of arms. The artist, Otto Plattner, chooses not to anchor his rider in realism but in the mythic: the horse is no ordinary steed but a Pegasus, symbol of poetic inspiration, and the rider’s calm, upright posture suggests both vulnerability and command. The green crayon lines are loose, almost trembling, as if the very air hums with anticipation.

Light catches on the rider’s chest and the curve of Pegasus’s wings, drawing the eye up and away from the earthbound audience below and into the realm of imagination. This is not just an advertisement—it is an invitation to ascend. Created in 1920, this poster belongs to a moment when poetry readings and literary evenings were not only entertainment but a declaration of cultural identity, especially in a city like Basel. Such posters were often commissioned to announce events, their visual language designed to stir curiosity and pride in potential attendees.

Here, the promise is clear: to attend is to be lifted, if only for an evening, into the world of art and myth. The date and venue—Stadtcasino, November 2, 1920—anchor the work in a specific civic moment, while the swirling forms and mythic references speak to a Europe still searching for meaning after the turmoil of the First World War. The image lingers, urging the viewer to imagine themselves among the crowd, waiting for the words that might let them fly.