PAUL COLIN (1892-1986) TSF TELEVISION. Gouache maquette. Circa 1937. 43 1/2x30 inches. Condition B: repaired tears in image and margin; pinholes in corners and top and bottom margins. Colin rose to instant fame in 1925 with his design for the Revue Negre<> poster featuring Josephine Baker in the center of the image. He dedicated most of his career to musicals and theater, designing posters and stage sets. Lesser known, and much rarer, are his works for commercial products and industry. As a member of the U.A.M. (Union des Artistes Modernes) he was very much aware of the concepts of modern design and here he gives a brilliant example for the society of scientific popularisation of radio and T.V. The image is diagonally divided into two, on the right side is a man whose eye is wide open to see his television, on the left side is an ear, into which flows the sound. Although it is a strong and perfectly balanced image, with boldly integrated, strong lettering, there is no indication that the design was ever turned in to an actual poster.
