May 08, 2006 - Sale 2079

Sale 2079 - Lot 32

Price Realized: $ 2,040
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
FRANCIS BERNARD (1900-1979) EAU SAINE ET FRAICHE. 1928.
47x31 3/8 inches. Paul Martial.
Condition B+: creases and abrasions in margins and image. Faded.
Although lesser known than Cassandre, Carlu, Colin, or Loupot, Bernard was also a member of the U.A.M. (Union des Artistes Modernes). He designed a number of excellent posters, and did a considerable amount of work for the Art Menagers Salon. Bernard finished his career as the head graphic designer of the French State Radio. Modern in its concept and angular and geometric in style, this poster utilizes the diagonal and the new typography of its era. Yet, in its use of colors, the image is also extremely soft and sensuous, which is a classic Bernard touch. The separate features of three men wearing the "beret Basque," attired in different beach and sporting outfits, the sea and the sand in the background, and the straightforward typography all add up to an excellent poster that proves that Art Deco is not necessarily cold. Extension de Ciboure was a fashionable real estate project in Ciboure on the Cote Basque. Voyage p. 49.