Bold lettering shouts “LEVENSGEVAARLIJK” across the top of Jacob Jansma’s 1925 poster, setting an urgent tone before the eye even reaches the scene below. A worker in cap and overalls is caught mid-climb at a small rooftop structure, his hands raised as if startled, while a jagged red lightning bolt slices down the composition. The limited palette—cool greens and blues punctuated by the warning red—turns a moment of near-disaster into a clear, instantly readable message.
Dutch text anchors the design in the language of public safety, warning that electrical lines should not be installed within arm’s reach. Jansma’s graphic choices do the heavy lifting: simplified forms, strong diagonals, and dramatic contrast make the invisible danger of electricity visible and memorable. The poster’s clean geometry and modernist look reflect a period when electrification was reshaping daily life and authorities increasingly relied on striking visual communication to reduce workplace accidents.
For collectors and design historians, this 1925 Jacob Jansma artwork offers more than a cautionary lesson—it’s a vivid example of early twentieth-century safety poster design and Dutch graphic art. The scene’s theatrical shock, paired with straightforward instructional wording, shows how posters could educate quickly in factories, streets, and public buildings. Whether you’re researching vintage propaganda, industrial heritage, or the evolution of modern poster art, this piece remains a powerful reminder of how design once served as a frontline tool of prevention.