Dec 17, 2008 - Sale 2167

Sale 2167 - Lot 63

Unsold
Estimate: $ 1,200 - $ 1,800
EUGENE GRASSET (1841-1917) L'ODEON. 1890.
47 1/8x31 7/8 inches, 120x81 cm. Malherbe, Paris.
Condition B+: repaired tears, creases and wrinkles in margins and image. Framed.
Grasset studied in Zurich and traveled around Europe before he settled in Paris where he became a major influence on the development of Art Nouveau. He worked in all aspects of the decorative arts; pioneering new illustration printing processes with Gillot, designing furniture, plates, stained-glass, textiles, jewelry, and creating a new typeface known as "Le Grasset." He was also the first French theorist of Art Nouveau, publishing several books on the subject including La Plante et ses Applications Ornementales and Methode de Composition Ornementale. In this advertisement for the upcoming season at the Theatre Nationale de L'Odeon, Grasset focuses more on the drama of the theatergoers than on the performances. The poster was a huge success for the theatre and also for Malherbe de Collet, who became Grasset's exclusive printer from then on. Unlike his later works, which were strictly color lithographs, this poster represents a combination of processes including color lithography and wood engraving. The initials of the engraver, VDH, appear in the lower right corner. This is the version before text. Arwas 3, DFP II 400, Wine Spectator 33, Abdy p. 121, all variations.