?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
L. LUCIEN FAURE (1892-?) CLAUDINE. 1901. 55 1/4x39 1/2 inches. Charles Verneau, Paris. Condition A-: repaired tears in margins; creases in image. Claudine was ostensibly the remarkably successful literary creation of Willy, a popular writer of the era. Truth be told it was Willy's wife Colette (see lot ) who created the character and wrote the books which were ultimately published under her husband's name. Claudine's first appearance was in 1900 in the book Claudine a l'Ecole<> (Claudine at School) followed a year later by Claudine a Paris<> (two more would eventually follow in the series, Claudine en Mènage, 1902, and Claudine s'enva<>, °1903). The success of the books led to a theatrical production. The franchise was so popular that the famous actress Polaire ("a dynamic and controversial performer" (Gold p. 60)) played the part on stage. Polaire appears here in what amounts to an early product endorsement; using her fame as an actress to sell the books that her stage character was based on! Gold, p. 60.
