Artist: Eugene Grasset Swiss (1841-1917)
Title: Librairie Romantique
Plate: PL. 42
Original lithograph from "Les Maitres de L'Affiche" series.
Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris, 1896.
Presented in 16 x 20 in. acid free, archival museum mat, with framing labels. Ready to frame. Shipped boxed flat.
Certificate of Authenticity.
Maitre Sheet Size: approx 11 3/8 in x 15 3/4 in 29 cm x 40 cm
Price: $200.00
"The publisher Ed. Monnier & Cie. came out with a series of romantic novels for which Grasset prepared this memorable image that eloquently summarizes the age of romanticism: a young woman in velvet and lace, deeply absorbed in an imaginary confined real life. Even with her back turned on us, her yearnings are clearly expressed. Grasset treats his subject with utmost discretion, yet manages to let us in on her suppresses longings. The poster was used for the entire series, with names of individual volumes changed appropriately in the text area"(Gold p.60)
"This gentle and delightful work is singled out …as one of the four best posters of the period…In the exhibition at the Salon de Cent, it was generally considered Grasset's masterpiece" (Abdy p.124)
"Grasset did much to introduce the concept and practice of Art Nouveau in France. In fact, Grasset brought Art Nouveau to the poster: it was to become a worldwide vehicle of the art of advertising. In France, Grasset was the pioneer of an attempt, like that of William Morris in England, to reconcile art and industry…Interested as he was in all the applied arts he came naturally to the poster" (Weill p.32)