MAURICE (PICO) PICAULD (1900-1977) FETE DE NUIT AUX FOLIES BERGERE. 1928.
61 1/4x45 1/4 inches, 155 1/2x115 cm. Jombart Fres., Paris.
Condition B+ / B: residual mildew staining overall; replaced losses and overpainting in corners and margins; repaired tears, creases and overpainting at edges, in image and along vertical and horizontal folds.
Pico, an architect, artist, decorator and poster designer, may best be remembered for the exterior design he created for Paris' Folies Bergère theatre in 1926. That image, featuring the dancer Lila Nikolska, is an archetype of Art Deco design. Pico also designed the bar within the theatre. This previously unknown and unrecorded image is a masterwork of Art Deco graphics, powerfully incorporating the use of a dynamic diagonal layout with two stylized dancers. The couple is being observed by the silhouette of a figure in the background. This one night event was a benefit for a foundation that supported a retirement home for artists. Pico is credited with having designed one other poster for the Folies Bergère, La Grand Folie, which he designed around 1927. rare.