Hand-coloured, plate-signed pochoir from Falbalas & Fanfreluches from the 1924 Almanac. No need to explain "Romance without Words" as Venus unexpectedly runs into her Adonis/Poseidon at the seaside. This erotically charged encounter is captured with typical Barbier finesse and discretion as her admired form is disguised beneath the seductive wispy-exotic beachwear. He stands poised to wrestle his magnificent anchor back out to sea, yet stopped in his tracks by this floating vision. +++++++
This famous illustrated almanac series was produced from 1922 to 1926 only and depicted high-society life in Paris - the fashion, social and artistic capital of the early inter-war years. Each issue contained a small diary and notation section, an introduction by one of the leading social/cultural doyens of the day, a decorative cover and twelve fashion plates (one for each month of the year,) hand-coloured via stencil and watercolour/gouache. +++++++ Further Ref.: "Art Deco Costumes By George Barbier" (Introduction by Madeleine Ginsburg, Curator, V&A Museum, London). +++++++ Approx.image size: h. 6.25in X w. 4.125in; h. 15.9cm X w. 10.5cm; Overall: h. 9.75in X w. 6.375in; h. 24.8cm X w. 16.2cm |