JULES-ALEXANDRE GRUN (1868-1934) SOCIETE DES PEINTRES - LITHOGRAPHES. 1901. 48x33 1/2 inches, 122x85 cm. Chaix, Paris. Condition B+: restored wrinkles in margins and image; creases in image; repaired tears and restoration in margins, some affecting image. Matted and framed. Lithography was becoming a popular art form in the late 19th century, and in the wake of Galerie Rapp's 1895 centennial exhibition of lithography, an association of "Lithographic Painters" was created which held a group exhibition every two years beginning in 1897. Charles Leandre designed the first poster. For 1899, three artists (Gottlob, Grasset and Auguste-Louis Lepere) each designed an image, and Grun was selected to design the poster for the 1901 exhibition. His elegant lady, engrossed in a catalogue, is not one of his typical ribald women, a tribute to his respect for the group. In the background, the organization's initials are displayed on the wallpaper, much the same way Mucha used the initials "JOB" in his 1898 poster for the rolling paper company. Grun p. 134, DFP-II 440.
