BOUTET DE MONVEL, AMAN-JEAN, SCHWAEBE, SINET, JOSSOT, MAYET, AND OTHERS
|Prominent among the French designers of posters with whom I have not
previously dealt is Guillaume, an artist widely known in England by
reason of the admirable illustrations which, from time to time, appear
in our periodicals. Save Cheret and Choubrac, few artists have done so
much poster work as Guillaume, and not many have maintained so high a
level of accomplishment. Vigour, vivacity, and high spirits, rather than
beautiful design and fine colour, are the characteristic qualities of
posters by Guillaume. He is, it seems to me, seen at his best in the
admirable "Extrait de Viande Armour," which is reproduced here. In its
way, and looking to the thing to be advertised, nothing better has been
done. The gigantic "strong man," with his huge torso, colossal arms
and legs, holding a tiny teacup in his immense hands, is not easily
forgotten. The expression on the man's face is inimitable, and the
accessories, such as cannons and dumbbells, are most appropriately
chosen. The "Chapeaux l'elion" is a more complicated design,
representing a crowd of men wearing hats of every conceivable shape.
The colour of this design is very good, but its chief merit lies in the
facial expression of the different members of the crowd. It would be
impossible to conceive any single person in a hat other than the one
he is wearing. In another excellent poster we are presented with a
very _fin-de-siecle_ young lady riding astride a stork which bears her
rapidly through space. It would be hopeless to attempt anything like a
complete list of Guillaume's posters, but among the most recent are
the following, all of which deserve the attention of the collector:
"Dentifrices du Dr. Bonn," "Gigolette," "Old England," "Le Pole
Nord," "Cycles Vincent fils," "Le Vin d'Or" (in two sizes, unsigned),
"Parfumerie Diaphane; le Diaphane Sarah Bernhardt," "L'ouvre de Rabelais
par J. Gamier," and "Ducreux et Giralduc (Ambassadeurs)".
Although a Frenchman, the work of Jean de Paleologue, or "Pal," as he is
more frequently called, is perhaps better known to the Londoner than to
the Parisian. His
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bright and flippant posters can be seen any day on the London hoardings,
and I have, therefore, purposely selected for reproduction two examples
in his less usual manner. The "Lucile Wraim" is of an elegance to which
Paleologue does not often attain, and would be distinguished in almost
any collection of posters. "The Euskal Jai Parisien," besides being a
good advertisement, is curious on account of its subject. Collectors who
would possess a more typical example of Paleologue's work would be well
advised to secure one or more of his music-hall series or his "Cabourg,"
an advertisement for the watering-place of that name. It is a large
lithograph in five colours, and represents a very charming lady who,
while bathing, is bent upon displaying her charms to the utmost.
While Paleologue can in no sense be compared to Cheret in his gift of
diffusing joyousness and gaiety, his work is undoubtedly "chic," and
rarely fails in its first business of advertisement. Some of his posters
have become difficult to procure, notably one designed for a Drury Lane
pantomime some few years since.
No artist, save Jules Cheret, has been more indefatigable in the making
of posters than Choubrac. The list given in M. Maindron's book is a
long one; that given in the catalogues of M. Sagot is still longer. The
posters of Choubrac do not seem to have received so much attention
at the hands of collectors as those of some of his better-known
contemporaries. At the same time, not a few of them are interesting and
rare. The bill done for the "Fin de Siecle" was suppressed, and, as
a consequence, is in great demand. It exists in four states, three of
which, in good condition, command no less than fifty francs. Merely to
give the names of the music-halls and theatres for which Choubrac has
worked would take up the better part of a page, while a list of the
_artistes_ whom he has advertised would be still longer. Amongst the
most noticeable of his recent bills are the following: "Eldorado.
Y'a pas d'erreur," "Folies Bergere. Armand Ary," "Folies Bergere.
Programme," "Folies Dramatiques. Miss Robinson," "Moulin Rouge. Au
Joyeux," "Neuilly-sur-Seine. Fete des fleurs," and "Gaiete. Rosa et
Josepha" (in two states).
An artist more unlike Choubrac than Maurice Boutet de Monvel it would
be assuredly impossible to find, and the fact that these names are in
juxtaposition must be taken as proof that no systematic arrangement
has been attempted in this chapter. Boutet de Monvel is a painter of
European reputation. His fame as an illustrator for, and a delineator
of, children stands very high. His studies of child-life are unlike those
of any other artist. They display the keenest observation and, as Mr.
Pennell has rightly observed, one finds in them not a line without
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meaning. Boutet de Monvel has, I believe, produced only three posters.
Two of them are among the most charming things seen on the Paris
hoardings for
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many a long day. Both of these are comparatively small. That which is
earlier in date, "Petite Poucette," was originally designed as a cover
for a piece of music, but, when reproduced on a larger scale, was
found to be thoroughly effective as a poster. More dainty, if not more
characteristic of the art of Boutet de Monvel, is the "Pate Dentifrice
du Dr. Pierre." In this design, one of the prettiest and most delightful
little ladies in the whole Monvel gallery of pretty little ladies
insists on the merit of the tooth-paste which, if it be half as good as
she is charming, must be excellent indeed. Every artist knows his own
business best, but one can only hope that, in what leisure he can snatch
from his work in paint and illustration, Boutet de Monvel will place
the collector of posters under new obligations to him. His note as a
decorator of the hoardings is as distinct as it is agreeable.
A very interesting figure in modern design is undoubtedly Carloz
Schwaebe. One of the leading lights of that curious institution the
"Salon Rose + Croix," it would indeed be curious if Schwaebe did anything
commonplace. His posters are as remarkable as those other productions
with which he has delighted some and puzzled not a few. Mystic, slightly
archaic, they are the work of a man of poetical temperament who
has chosen the graphic arts instead of literature as his means of
expression. The two posters from his hand are very decorative in their
strange way, and contain passages of great beauty. In the
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kneeling woman is remarkably impressive, while the irises amidst which
she kneels are beautifully drawn. The lettering of this poster is most
original, and the designer has evidently taken great pains with it. It
is a lithograph in two colours, and measures forty-two and a half by
thirty-one and a half inches. Schwaebe's larger poster, the "Salon Rose +
Croix," is in one colour only, and is a good example of his work. So
far this curiously-gifted artist has confined himself to advertising a
concert and a picture show; it is not to be expected that he will ever
condescend to soap or extract of beef. Another of the Rose + Croix men,
Aman-Jean, has done a poster for the Salon which rivals in curiosity the
productions of Schwaebe himself.
A little advertisement which had, it may well be, some influence on the
poster movement in England, was that by which Andre Sinet advertised an
exhibition of his own works held at the Goupil Gallery in 1893. This
was an attractive little bit of design of which the colour was very
agreeable. In addition to it, Sinet has done the inevitable poster for
Yvette Guilbert. Another painter of talent who has made an advertisement
for an exhibition of his own work is H. Guerard. It represents a group
of ravens and is in poker work. It would appear to be rare, as it is
quoted in none of the catalogues. A copy, exhibited at the Aquarium in
1894, is in the collection of Mr. Ernest Hart. Still another artist who
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has, I believe, done only one poster, is Goissaud. His design was to
advertise the "Societe des miniaturistes et enlumineurs de France," and
is a lithograph in one colour. Among the Salon des Cent series we have,
besides the admirable posters of Grasset and Ibels already alluded to,
a very grotesque and effective little design by Jossot. It represents an
amazing old gentleman of weird aspect, in cocked hat, paying his franc
for admission to the exhibition. Of its kind it is effective enough.
Another, by Cazoly, with a curious portrait of Paul Verlaine is
reproduced here.
It is certainly with no view to hurt the feelings of those artists whose
names do not head this chapter that they are represented by a mere
_et cetera_. It must be understood that one of the least polite of
contractions, in this case, involves no discourtesy whatsoever.
For example, I may instance such able work as Gruen's "Le Carillon:
cabaret artistique." Few posters are more vivid or more actual than
this. The price of it is a matter of pence, and it should certainly not
be neglected by those whom it amuses to collect the _affiche illustre_.
Gruen, in addition to "Le Carillon," has produced "Poleon-Revue:
Decadent's Concert," and in addition a design for an insurance company.
One of the most charming of the more recent French posters is one by H.
Gray, dealing with "La Pretentaine," a play produced some time ago at
the Nouveau Theatre. In addition he has advertised "La Bonita" at
the Cirque d'Ete, "Les Mousquetaires," at the same place, "Les
Saltimbanques" at the Cirque d'Hiver, and the _bal masque_ at
the Theatre de l'Opera. The last is perhaps the best known of his
_affiches_. Among others, Bac has done a poster for Yvette Guilbert at
the Horloge, which is signed and dated 1892. The bicycling craze has
called into existence a perfect torrent of posters, and Bac, together
with Gray, Guillaume, Lunel, and Paleologue, have produced posters of
more or less interest. A gentleman who is sufficiently modest not
to state his name, did a design which called forth the wrath of the
authorities. Whereupon an artist called Lepur designed an _affiche_
bearing the significant legend, of which this is a translation: "Grand
choice of vine-leaves (fig-leaves) of all sizes for posters, as demanded
by the virtuous journals, the 'T(emps '), the 'G(aulois '), and the
'D(ebats ')."
The following is a list, with the names of typical examples of their
work, of some other French artists of distinction who have designed
posters: Barbizet ("La branche cassee"), Bouisset (F.) ("Bazar de
l'Hotel-de-Ville," "Exposition de jouets," "Chocolat Menier"),
Desicy (H.) ("Un heritage, roman"), Dutriac ("Ambassadeurs: Danseuses
Espagnols"), Faria ("Ba-ta-clan: [Illustration: 0189] Paulus"), Dufay
("Portrait,") ("Les Rey Nol's)," Galice (G.) ("Concert parisien: Esther
Lekain," "Fete des Fleurs," "Paulan Brebion," "Scala: Jeanne Bloch"),
Guydo ("Eldorado: Aimee Eymard"), Honer ("Concert parisien: Bonnaire"),
Hope ("Gaiete: Tour de Nesle"), Huvey ("Gras-side"), Lamy (L.) ("Le
capitaine Henriot, opera comique," "Theatre national lyrique"), Lebegue
(L.) ("Bals travestes et tableaux vivants"), Lefevre (L.) ("Cacao
lacte," "Electricine," "L'hiver a Nice"), Levy (E.) ("Chatelet Michel
Strogoff," "Cirque d'Hiver: Caravane dans le desert," "Folies Bergere:
Vue de la salle," "Petit national: Le prince Mouffetard"), Meunier (G.)
("Papier a cigarettes Job," "Parfumerie Edea," "Le Sahara a Paris: Champ
de Mars"), Truchet (A.) ("Cabaret des Quat'z' Arts," "Eldorado: Alice
Berthier.")
It will have been noticed already how great apart the music-hall and
the _cafe chantant_ play in the history of the pictorial poster.
Yvette Guilbert has been the cause of a baker's dozen of _affiches_;
Anna Thibaud (that charming singer of the songs of Beranger); Anna Held,
with her curious manner, and still more curious appearance; Irene Henri,
of intense personality; Jane Avril, and May Belfort; to say nothing of
Aristide Bruant, of Caudieux, of Paulus, and the rest of the school who
have made the music-hall stage of France a matter of no small importance
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in her social life, have been favourite subjects of the designers
of posters. It has always been held that the career of an actor, in
consideration of its evanescence, is not
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without a certain pathos. It is true that we remember, through the
gossip of their friends, Garrick and Mrs. Siddons, Talma and Rachel, but
even these are uncertain phantoms lingering in the haze of memory. Only
yesterday they were intensely actual, to-day they are not more real than
Burbage and Betterton. After all, the history of the actor's art is not
without its immortals. Macaulay's schoolboy could doubtless have related
the compliment of Dr. Johnson to Mrs. Siddons: the latest escapade of
the great Sarah is the joy of the paragrapher. The music-hall, however,
has still no artist in any country (save, perhaps, the unforgettable
Yvette) who has much chance of permanent remembrance. But when the toil
and moil of existence is ended, when the singer has sung his last song,
it may chance that he will be remembered because some collector of such
unconsidered trifles as picture posters has placed in his portfolio a
work of Cheret or of Lautrec.
To turn from the music-halls to the great railway companies is an
emphatic transition, and yet the former, no less than the latter have
done much to encourage the artist to apply his talent to the _affiche_.
The Great Western Railway Company have illustrated at their stations and
in their carriages, by means of photography, all that is romantic and
interesting in the country through which their line runs. And, again,
the great lines of the United States have brought into vogue vast
systems of pictorial advertisement. Their opportunity was undoubtedly a
magnificent one. For subject
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matter they had some of those vast natural developments which appeal to
mere man as absolutely terrific. The waterfall, splashing itself into
luminous dust, the immense and silent mountains, the lakes which are
seas, the vasty canons which occur in different parts of the States,
inevitably appeal to the imagination. It is therefore not wonderful that
the great lines of America have preferred literal and exact illustration
to fantastic delineation. The railways of France, on the other hand,
have employed to no inconsiderable extent the artist to figure the
beauties of the places at which they have stations. Amongst the most
important French designers who have worked at the railway _affiche_
are:-Fraipont (G.): ("Chemin de fer de l'Etat: Bains de mer de Royan":
"Royan sur l'Ocean," "Chemin de fer d'Orleans: Excursions en Tou-raine":
"Excursions en Touraine et aux chateaux des bords de la Loire," "Chemin
de fer de l'Ouest: Argenteuil a Mantes," "Cie de l'Ouest et de Brighton:
Fleurs, fruits, primeurs a destination de Londres," "Paris a Londres
(L'Angleterre et l'Ecosse)" "Chemin de fer du Nord: Excursions a la
mer," "Chemin de fer de l'Est: Royat," "Chemin de fer de l'Ouest:
Bretagne, Normandie," "Normandie et Bretagne," "Chemin de fer de l'Ouest
a Brighton: Paris a Londres," "Chemin de fer du Nord: Anvers, Exposition
universelle.") Ochoa: ("Club Train," "Mediterranee," "Express (Cie Int.
des wagons-lits)," "Orient-Express," "Peninsular-Express"). Hugo d'Alesi
(_affiches_ simili-aquarelles): "Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, Algerie,"
"Geneve," "L'hiver a Nice," (two subjects), "Lac de Thoune,"
"Mont Revard," "Le Mont Rose," "Le Puy," "Tunisie," "La Turbie,"
"Uriage-les-Bains," "Chemin de fer du Midi: Pyrenees," "Chemin de fer
d'Orleans: Excursions en Auvergne" (1894), "La Creuse et l'Indre,"
"Chemin de fer de l'Ouest: Dieppe," "L'Auvergne (Orleans)." Lefevre
(L.): "Nord. Ete a Cobourg," "Orleans Excursions aux Pyrenees," "Bains
de mer du Golfe de Gascogne," "Ouest Excursions sur les cotes de
Normandie, en Bretagne, et a l'ile de Jersey." Among other designers for
French railway companies and watering-places may be named Orazi, whose
"Trouville" poster is reproduced on p. 181, Balzer, Baylac, Japhet, and
Oge.
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