Leopoldo Metlicovitz, Inauguration of the Sempione. International Exposition Milan 1906, poster, colour lithograph, 1906

The Trieste artist chose to use an allegorical composition that was both easy to read and of high visual impact to advertise the exhibition. At the helm of a locomotive, a symbol of the pace of progress, he depicted a young Mercury seen from behind and flanked by the allegorical figure of Science. The train is about to leave a dark tunnel and come out into the light of a great plain. On the horizon, small but recognizable, is the shape of the Cathedral of Milan. This poster by Metlicovitz proved to be the most successful and popular image of the Exposition.