HENRY LE MONNIER (1893-1978) VERMOUTH MAXIMO. Gouache Maquette. 51 3/4x39 1/4 inches. Condition B+: time staining and minor tears in margins; abrasions, creases and foxing in margins and image. Paper. The work of Leonetto Cappiello had a profound effect on an entire generation of poster designers. Some, like Jean Carlu and A. M. Cassandre, who designed early works in the style of Cappiello, were able to free themselves from his influence and find their own original style. Many others remained transfixed by his mastery and spent their entire careers in his graphic shadow. Indeed those that emulated him often celebrated great success on their own, as the style pleased a majority of conservative clients and the public. Major French printing houses strove to have a Cappiello-style artist in their stables. When Cappiello left the Parisian printing firm of Vercasson, he was replaced by Jean d'Ylen. Jo Stahl was under contract with the printer Joseph Charles, and Henry Le Monnier was employed by Lutetia. Le Monnier designed a lot of posters, almost entirely for various brands of food and drink. This maquette, which we believe was never realized, shows the extent of his talent. Besides parroting Cappiello, he included a sophisticated typographic game within the body of the image. The public would have been sure to embrace such a lovable clown as an advertising icon (especially one carrying a big bottle of vermouth), but in order to ensure the maximum visibility for the product, Le Monnier composes the clown's body out of the name of the brand. From the clown's forehead to his collar, and from his shoulders to his feet, the brand name is cleverly spelled out twice!
