The Sorrows of Satan c.1900

This British stone lithograph poster is 30 inches tall by 20 inches wide.  The framed measurements are underway.

Poster Analysis

Artist / Designer
Designed by Stafford & Co. (Stafford & Co. Ltd., Netherfield, Nottingham, England).
The artwork is in a bold, dramatic illustrative style typical of early 20th-century British theatrical/lithographic posters. No individual artist name is signed on the poster, which was common for Stafford & Co. productions — they employed in-house illustrators.

Location
United Kingdom (specifically associated with Nottingham, England, where the printer was based). The poster was produced for the British theatrical market.

Printer / Publisher
Stafford & Co. Ltd. – Netherfield, Nottingham, England.
They were a prominent lithographic printing firm specializing in theatrical, music hall, and film posters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Topic / Subject
This is a theatrical / stage play poster. It advertises a dramatic production (likely a play or adaptation) titled “The Sorrows of Satan”. The imagery depicts a flamboyant, devilish figure (Satan/Mephistopheles-like character) in a theatrical costume, complete with dramatic lighting, lightning effects, and a skull emblem — emphasizing themes of temptation, evil, and melodrama.

Date / Age
Circa 1890s – 1910s* (most likely late 1890s to early 1900s).
This style of colorful lithographic theatrical poster was very popular during the late Victorian / Edwardian era. The specific play “The Sorrows of Satan” is based on Marie Corelli’s 1895 bestselling novel of the same name, which was quickly adapted for the stage.

Type / Format
– Theatrical advertising poster (half-sheet or similar standard size)
– Color lithograph
– Bold, illustrative, melodramatic style typical of British stage posters of the period.

Business Relationships
– Printer: Stafford & Co. Ltd. (Netherfield, Nottingham)
– Client: Likely a touring theatre company or West End producer who staged the adaptation of Marie Corelli’s novel.
Stafford & Co. printed posters for many major theatrical productions across Britain.

Text Content
Main Title:
THE SORROWS OF SATAN

(No other prominent text or credits are visible on the main image area.)

Visual Description
The poster features a highly dramatic, theatrical illustration of a green-skinned devilish figure with a mustache, wearing a flamboyant red-and-green costume with a large billowing red cloak, lightning bolts, and a skull on the chest. He is posed dynamically against a dark, stormy, rocky background with glowing yellow light and clouds at his feet. The style is vibrant, eye-catching, and typical of late 19th/early 20th-century sensationalist theatre promotion.

Historical Context & Additional Information
– Based on Marie Corelli’s 1895 novel *The Sorrows of Satan***, which was one of the best-selling books of the Victorian era.
– The story involves a struggling author who makes a Faustian bargain with the devil (who appears as a sophisticated gentleman).
– Multiple stage adaptations appeared in the late 1890s and early 1900s.
– This poster is a classic example of British theatrical lithography from the golden age of poster art (1890–1914), before cinema largely replaced live theatre advertising.