Original UK quad poster artwork by Arnaldo Putzu
Medium: Gouache and watercolour on board, unlettered, sellotape mark remains to outer areas
Size: 80 x 108cm
Arnaldo Putzu (1927 -2012, Italian) was one of the most distinctive illustrators of his generation, painting film posters – from Italian realist cinema to the Carry On series – and book and magazine covers. While his long career started and finished in Italy, his work in Britain encapsulated the whole look of popular illustration in the 1960s and 70s.
About the movie:The Message (Arabic: الرسالة Ar-Risālah; originally known as Mohammad, Messenger of God) is a 1976 epic historical drama film directed and produced by Moustapha Akkad, chronicling the life and times of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through the perspective of his uncle Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib and adopted son Zayd ibn Harithah.
Released in both separately-filmed Arabic and English-language versions, The Message serves as an introduction to early Islamic history. The international ensemble cast includes Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael Ansara, Johnny Sekka, Michael Forest, André Morell, Garrick Hagon, Damien Thomas, and Martin Benson. It was an international co-production between Lebanon, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
The film was nominated for Best Original Score in the 50th Academy Awards, composed by Maurice Jarre, but lost the award to Star Wars (composed by John Williams).