ADOLPHE MOURON CASSANDRE (1901-1968) PACIFIC. 1935. 50 1/4x35 inches, 127 1/2x89 cm. Sauberlin & Pfeiffer, Vevey. Condition B+: creases and minor abrasions in margins and image; repaired tear in bottom edge. Mounted on Japan. In 1935, the Swiss tobacco company, Vautier, commissioned Cassandre to design a series of four posters. For these, he turned away from the "neo-realist" style he had used the previous year on a poster for Celtique cigarettes (see lot 110), which was almost like an Object Poster of the cigarette package. For Vautier, he used the motif of a giant hand and depicted the cigarettes, cigars and pipes of the company appearing in situ with smokers. In addition to shifting his graphic approach, Cassandre was also changing his artistic style at this time. This image is more painterly than his previous posters, with rich layers of color and a more realistic handling of light and shadow. It is made clear by the lettering at the bottom that the cigarettes contained American tobacco. Mouron pl. 57, Cassandre / Suntory p. 178, Realismes 60, Brown & Reinhold 55.
