TIBOR RÉZ-DIAMANT (1885-1960) BAKER / ROYAL ORFEUM. 1928.
37x24 inches, 94x61 cm. Atheneum, Budapest.
Condition A- / B+: minor restoration along repaired tears and creases; minor creases and abrasions along vertical and horizontal folds. Printed on thin paper.
Her triumphant appearance in Paris in the Revue Nègre, in 1925 catapulted Josephine Baker to international stardom. She was in demand around the world and was met with great success wherever she went. Her image became iconic - not only her face, but even her slicked-back hairdo, with its signature small curl, became immediately recognizable. She launched her own brand of hair cream, "Bakerfix," that was hugely popular on its own. In 1928, Josephine set out on a European tour that began in Vienna, followed by Liepzig, Budapest, Prague, Oslo, Stockholm, the Netherlands, Copenhagen, Bucharest and Madrid. Baker played in Budapest for a month at the Royal Orpheum Theatre, where she was met with both wild fan reception and protest (students threw ammonia bombs). Réz-Diamant was "one of the greatest Art Deco poster artists in Hungary . . . [he] consciously used stylistic elements of Avant-Garde art, like Expressionism and Cubism. He successfully combined the decorative Art Deco manner with the strict Constructivism of the 1920s . . . A beautiful example is his almost abstract poster for the show of Josephine Baker, from 1928. The characteristic face of the actress is extremely stylized; it is reduced to basic shapes. The oval face appears as a diagonal form from a vivid yellow background, which makes the poster extremely spectacular" (Budapestposter.com). rare. We could find no other copies at auction.