PAUL COLIN (1892-1986) JOË ALEX. 1926.
62 3/4x47 1/2 inches, 159 1/2x120 cm.
Condition B+: tears and minor losses at edges; unobtrusive vertical and horizontal folds; smudging in image. Paper.
Belgian born Joë Alex (1895-1972) moved to Paris in 1925, where he joined the cast of the Revue Negre. He became very friendly with Josephine Baker, appearing with her in her film La Sirene des Tropiques and in her night club (where he performed with a trained dog). He was one the very few black performers of the era to break through from the stage to the silver screen. He acted in the film Rogolboche with Mistinguett, in Naples au Basier de Feu with Tino Rossi and even had a short appearance in Marcel Carre's cult film Les Enfants du Paradis. Colin's straightforward portrait of the performer is ignited by his modernist use of the diagonal, which makes the image particularly eye-catching. Colin 65.

with a signed and inscribed program from a performance at Josephine Baker's nightclub in 1931.