H. GRAY (HENRI BOULANGER, 1858-1924) RIZ ABADIE. 1898. 55x39 1/4 inches, 139 3/4x99 3/4 cm. Courmont Freres, Paris. Condition B+: tears, repaired tears and punch holes at edges; creases and abrasions in margins and image; staining in image; vertical and horizontal folds. Paper. Gray was one of the most versatile and prolific of the popular French Belle Epoque poster artists. He used his diverse style to advertise entertainers and entertainment venues, tourist destinations, bicycle companies and other commericial products. Here he pays homage to the work of Alphonse Mucha. In many ways this image can be viewed as variations of Mucha's 1896 and 1898 posters for Job rolling paper. Gray captures the essence of Mucha's work by placing his central figure within a halo and using a mosaic-style wallpaper in the background. Tagebuch 60, Maitres 1900 p. 17.
