PAUL COLIN (1892-1986) MAYA. 1927. 61 1/8x45 1/4 inches, 155x115 cm. H. Chachoin, Paris. Condition B / B+: restored losses, repaired tears, creases and restoration in margins and image; vertical and horizontal folds. Maya was the title character of a play concerning a prostitute from Marseilles; the play was a hit worldwide (except in New York where it was judged as immoral and was censored). Colin's layout for the poster can be seen as a literalization of certain themes in the play: for example, the division of the image into two sides as indicating Maya's double life and the three sketches of her as symbolizing the many facets of her troubled and complicated character. It is a strong, stylized image, with subtle coloring except for the dramatic red used for her coat and the title. Colin 9, Musée d'Affiche 78.
