Hélyett Marjolaine by Georges de Feure, Art Nouveau theater lithograph, 1896

Lithograph of George de Feure’s 1896 theatrical Art Nouveau poster promoting Mistinguett’s role as Hélyett in Marjolaine.

Hélyett is shown in a delicate pastel palette, enveloped by expressive strokes of color. Her gaze falls far beyond the viewer, a characteristic shared by most of the elegantly-appointed women in de Feure’s body of work. “Georges de Feure designed porcelain, silverware, furniture and fabrics for L’Art Nouveau Bing; his strong presence at the point of inception meant that it was his hand more than any other whose style most defined the Art Nouveau movement.”

-Quote from Thomas Negovan’s Flowering Lines (2017)

While this poster was printed in multiple sizes and formats, this extremely scarce edition of 25 strikes on Japon paper from 1896 is the most desirable. The rare, small format poster lithographs created at this time were printed using rich, dense, lead inks, and the special Japon paper editions allowed the inks to rest upon its surface rather than being absorbed by a more permeable paper stock, resulting in a superior, jewellery-like boldly colored strike.

Exceptional condition commensurate with age. Image will display beautifully. Paper measures 10 1/8 x 13 1/2 inches. This artwork is presented in archival rag mat and arrives accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Notable museum collections containing this work include: Victoria and Albert Museum (E.2673-1962) (large-format version)

Notable museum collections featuring works by Georges de Feure include: Musée d'Orsay, Paris; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; Museum of Modern Art, New York City; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Québec; and more.