Funny Face, released in 1957, is a romantic musical directed by Stanley Donen and starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. Set between Paris and New York, the film follows bookstore employee Jo Stockton (Hepburn), whose unexpected journey into the world of fashion leads to romance, self-discovery, and one of cinema's most celebrated visual spectacles. Renowned for its elegant costume design, vibrant cinematography, and unforgettable musical numbers, Funny Face remains a defining work of Hollywood's Golden Age.
This VetroScope artwork reinterprets the film's original Half Sheet poster through a combination of traditional oil painting and precision-cut vinyl. Reverse applied to optically clear shadowbox glass, the precision-cut vinyl overlay elevates selected graphic elements from the painted canvas, transforming the traditionally flat medium of the film poster into a layered physical artwork.
The vinyl overlay is produced using professional-grade Oracal® 651 sign vinyl, precision cut and reverse applied to optically clear shadowbox glass to achieve the distinctive layered presentation unique to the VetroScope process.
Each VetroScope original is a unique, one-of-one artwork. The reverse of the canvas is authenticated with the artist's custom studio stamp and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
For information regarding the acquisition of VetroScope originals, please visit the Acquisitions page.
From the Artist
Funny Face is one of my favourite films—the world's most graceful dancer alongside cinema's most timeless leading lady. My VetroScope interpretation celebrates not only the film itself, but also the sophisticated graphic design and visual language that defined its era.
The dominant pink palette is an unmistakable reference to the unforgettable "Think Pink" sequence performed by Kay Thompson's Maggie Prescott. Running horizontally through the composition are seven darker pink rectangles—abstract representations of the seven doors spanning the white interior of the Quality magazine offices. Reduced to their simplest geometric forms, they become both an architectural reference and a compositional device, creating a visual rhythm that guides the eye from the title, through Audrey Hepburn's portrait, and finally to the Bohemian Dance figure on the right. Their clean geometry also reflects the modernist design language that increasingly influenced art, architecture, and graphic design throughout the 1950s.
The central composition reinterprets an original publicity photograph of Fred Astaire as fashion photographer Dick Avery, kneeling to capture Audrey's image. His pose serves two narrative purposes: illustrating his role behind the camera while subtly evoking the timeless image of a man down on one knee, adding a quiet layer of romance to the composition.
Rather than reproducing the familiar publicity artwork, I chose to include Audrey from the film's iconic Bohemian Dance sequence. This variation introduces movement and playfulness, balancing the poised elegance of the central portrait while revealing the spirited, unconventional side of Jo Stockton's character. Rendered in black and white, the figure recalls the world of mid-century editorial and fashion photography, reinforcing the magazine aesthetic that runs throughout the artwork.
The film title and principal cast billing were painstakingly hand-traced into vector lines from original 1957 poster artwork rather than recreated using modern fonts. Preserving these subtle imperfections was essential to maintaining the authenticity of the period's graphic design and remaining faithful to its original visual language.
With costumes by Edith Head & Hubert de Givenchy, an unforgettable George and Ira Gershwin score, and the remarkable chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, Funny Face remains endlessly rewatchable. Beneath its romance lies a witty satire of the fashion industry, intellectualism, and the contrast between American commercialism and Parisian bohemian culture. More than simply paying tribute to a beloved film, this artwork celebrates the elegance, optimism, and graphic sophistication that made Funny Face an enduring icon of 1950s cinema.
