GEORGES GAUDY (1872-1940) LÉONHARD TIETZ. 44 3/4x24 1/2 inches, 104x62 cm. Etablissement Gén, Brussels. Condition B+ / A-: restoration along vertical and horizontal folds; overpainting in margins. Amongst the biographical information we have about this prominent Belgian poster artist, Maurice Bauwens writes in Les Affiches Etrangeres, that he was a champion cyclist. This might explain why his first poster was designed for the Brussels Velodrome and so many of his subsequent works advertised bicycle and car manufacturers. He also designed a few posters for other companies and products, such as this previously unrecorded work for the re-opening of a Belgian department store. Gaudy has a unique style in which he juxtaposes dark and vivid flat colors both for outlining and for the background. The central figure stand in direct contrast to the dark, undetailed mass of the background, catching the viewer's eye by just the virtue of her light color and the detail of her attire. Gaudy uses vivid strokes to render her, which helps add a sense of movement to her stole.
