HENRI ACHILLE ZO (1873-1933) L'ANDALOUSIE AU TEMPS DE MAURES. 1900. 51x36 1/2 inches. Lemercier, Paris. Condition A-: minor restored losses in image; minor repaired tears along vertical and horizontal folds. One of the main attractions of the 1900 Paris World's Fair was the exhibition L'Andalousie au temps des Maures [Andalusia in the Times of the Moors]. The extraordinary panorama of Spain during the years of Arab occupation included faithfully reconstructed parts of Seville's Alhambra, a village with houses copied from Cordoba and Toledo, a theatre where performances of flamenco dancing were staged, as well as a Spanish restaurant. Henri Zo was a painter, who studied under his father, Achille Zo, and also under Leon Bonnat. He was well regarded for his renditions of life in the Basque country, including bullfights and dancing, so it is no wonder he received the commission for this, his only known poster. It is a brilliantly conceived image, filled with movement and color, of a lively flamenco dancer and her troupe. The Exposition not only afforded Zo the opportunity to design this exceptional poster, but it also awarded a silver medal to him for his paintings which were on exhibition. Rare.
