GEORGES LEPAPE (1887-1971) [THEATRICAL ALLEGORY.] 1913. Gouache on paper. 101/2x81/2 inches. Condition B+: repaired tears, restoration and creases in image; some paint cracking. Lepape was the most important and talented fashion illustrator in Paris during the heyday of the Art Deco era. His work captured the essence of the times and has become a visual synonym for that stylish era. His work as seen in Les Choses de Paul Poiret Vues par Lepape, a promotional brochure for the king of haute couture, his drawings in Modes et Manyeres and above all his illustrations in La Gazette du Bon Ton, were simple and elegant, and represented a radically new approach and a stylistic revolution. This refined drawing appeared in the December 1913 issue of Art et Decoration and later as a program cover at the Deauville Casino. A graceful, delicately drawn allegory of the theatre, the image features a lovely, though mysterious, actor holding the masks of comedy and tragedy. Original works by Lepape from the height of his career have become scarce.
![GEORGES LEPAPE (1887-1971) [THEATRICAL ALLEGORY.] 1913. Gouache on paper. 10x8 inches.](https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/full//642\556642.jpg)
