ROBERT BONFILS (1886-1972) SALON D'AUTOMNE. 1928. 62 3/4x46 3/4 inches, 159 1/2x119 cm. Marcel Picard, Paris. Condition A: unobtrusive horizontal fold. Robert Bonfils studied art in Paris and became a master lithographer and wood engraver. He was primarily known for his illustrations for the Gazette du Bon Ton but he also designed a few posters. Most notable of these was his poster for the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs. The Salon d'Autumne was conceived of as an alternative to the conservative policies of Paris' official Salon. It held its first exhibition in 1903, and attracted a strong following of avant-garde artists and others outside of the mainstream. It was at the 1905 exhibition that works by the Fauvists were first exhibited, causing quite an uproar within the artistic community. After the First World War the Salon d'Autumne remained active, but was no longer a venue for seismic shifts within the art world. Bonfils' colorful, attractive and gentle poster captures that simple, decorative spirit.
