EMILE BERCHMANS (1867-1947) LA LAMPE BELGE. 1897. 27 5/8x39 3/4 inches. A. Benard, Liege. Condition A-: minor water damage in image; vertical and horizontal folds. Liege was a major creative center in Belgium in the 1890s. This was largely due to Auguste Bénard, a commercial lithographer, and three talented artists who worked for him: Emile Berchmans, Auguste Donnay and Armand Rassenfosse. Berchmans was the most prolific of the three. His creative and unique style combines flat colors, black outlining and white lines inside the image. This "stylistic system" provides a strong graphic touch to his posters, and this rare image, a six-color lithograph, is a prime example of his skills. DFP-II 989, Belle Epoque 1970 8, L'Affiche Belge 9, Gold 19.
