39 1/4x24 1/2 inches, 99 3/4x62 1/4 cm. L. Danel, Lille. Condition B+: repaired tears at edges, one into lower left text; replaced losses and repaired pin holes in corners; minor creases and abrasions at edges and in image; linen trimmed to poster.
1931 was a turning point in Cassandre's vision of steamships. Until then, he had focused on individual design components, such as their funnels and air shafts. Beginning with l'Atlantique, Cassandre shifted his attention to the ships as a whole; Côte d'Azur is the last of the "chimney series." He depicts the boat from the side, cutting off the prow and the stern, focusing only on the center with its funnel, lifeboat, air shaft and railing. Cassandre's expert use of airbrush to represent the smoke and the sky creates volume within the different elements of the ship and establishes an excellent atmosphere. As he did for most of his posters for the Chemins de Fer du Nord, Cassandre runs the typography around the outside of the image. Mouron pl. 35, Brown & Reinhold 32, Suntory p. 96, Cassandre / Tokyo 43, Cassandre / Weill 62, Reina Sofia p. 173, Schipp & Affiche p. 147, MoMA 274.1935. .
