ADOLPHE MOURON CASSANDRE (1901-1968) SS. "CÔTE D'AZUR." 1931. 39 1/4x24 1/4 inches, 99 3/4x61 1/2 cm. L. Danel, Lille. Condition B+: repaired tears, restored losses, creases and restoration in margins, some affecting text and image; restoration along creases and horizontal fold in image; replaced lower right corner; repaired pin holes in corners. 1931 was a turning point in Cassandre's vision of steamships. Up until then, he had focused on individual design components, such as their funnels and airshafts. 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, airshaft 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 excellent atmosphere. As he did for the majority 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 72, Cassandre / Tokyo 43, Cassandre / Weill p. 59, Reina Sofia p. 173, Schipp & Affiche p. 147.
