ADOLPHE MOURON CASSANDRE (1901-1968) CELTIQUES. 1936.
59x38 3/4 inches, 150x98 1/2 cm. Alliance Graphique, Paris.
Condition B+: repaired tears, creases, abrasions and restoration along vertical and horizontal folds and in margins and image. Matted and framed.
At first glance, this poster looks like a product of the Swiss New Realism. It is, in fact, more complex than it appears. The pack of cigarettes, hyper-realistic in its rendering, tilts 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. It is rare to find this format printed in 1936. Mouron pl. 48, Cassandre / Bibliotheque Nationale p. 100, Brown & Reinhold 45.