ADOLPHE MOURON CASSANDRE (1901-1968) CELTIQUES / CAPORAL ORDINAIRE. 1936.
117x79 inches, 297 1/4x200 3/4 cm. L. Danel, Paris.
Condition B+: creases, wrinkles and abrasions in margins and image. Four-sheets, unattached. Paper.
At first glance this poster looks like a product of the Swiss New Realism. It is, in fact, more sophisticated than it appears. The pack of cigarettes, which is hyper-realistic in its rendering, is tilted upwards, floating above a simple wooden table, casting a generous black shadow. It seems as if the pack has been lifted off the table by an invisible hand, which is offering the cigarette to the viewer. It is this kind of sophisticated idea and execution that makes Cassandre's work unique. This image exists in various formats, this is the rare billboard size. Mouron pl. 48, Cassandre / Biblioteheque Nationale p. 100, Brown & Reinhold 45.