Marcel Vertès Art

Marcel Vertès (1895-1961) A Music hall artist, signed lower right and dedicated "à monsieur Pierre Guastalla bien sympathiquement son confrère Vertès" lower left Pencil on paper 20.8 x 13.8 cm framed : 30.5 x 24.5 cm This little drawing is very characteristic of the lively style of Marcel Vertès, but also of his inspiration. You can see the artist's nervous line, immediately evocative of the figure he is portraying. This is clearly an artist preparing for a performance, and there is obviously an ambiguity in this androgynous figure, even though it is recognisable as a man. Vertès's pencilwork serves this subject admirably. He was particularly inspired by the world of shows and music halls, which he dealt with throughout his career. The drawing is dedicated to another artist, Pierre Guastalla (1891-1968), whose world was different but whose affinities with Marcel Vertès are obvious, since he also devoted a great deal of time to engraving between the wars. Emmanuel Marcel Vertès, born Vértes Marcell in Újpest (Hungary) on 10 August 1895 and died in Paris 16th arrondissement on 31 October 1961, was a Hungarian-born French painter, engraver, illustrator and costume and film designer. After studying with Ferenczy at the Beaux-Arts in Budapest, Marcel Vertès produced political posters during the First World War. Going into exile at the end of the hostilities, like his comrades Mihály Bíró and Róbert Berény, he studied at the Académie Julian in Paris. He made a name for himself in France in the mid-1920s, particularly for his lithographs and illustrations. He published L'heure exquise, a series of erotic engravings...

Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph is from the rare 1953 "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the occasion of the 1953 Spr...

Medium: original etching and drypoint. Printed on Arches paper printed by Daragnes and published in Paris in 1951 by Manuel Bruker for "Eloge de Marcel Vertes", issued in a limited e...

Medium: original lithograph. This lithograph was printed in 1956 for the "Improvisations" portfolio, published by the Artists Equity Association of New York on the occasion of the 19...

The gentleman is a lithograph realized by Marcel Vertès in 1930s. 50x32 cm, no frame. Hand signed in the lower right part. Good condition expect for some yellow signs of the time. He was born in Budapest. He went to the workshop of Zala, the favorite sculptor of Emperor Franz Joseph. In 1919, he moved to Vienna where he made it big as a poster designer, but he considered it a second-hand job. In 1925 he put success behind him, left the Austrian capital and landed in Paris to devote himself to lithography: illustrations for numbered editions of Colette, Zola, especially Pierre Louys and collaborations for fashion magazines. Thus began a career marked by success, also in terms of sales, which led him to win the Oscar for the film Moulin Rouge with José Ferrer and Zsa Zsa Gábor. Painter, engraver, illustrator, set and costume designer, he was the historic author of Vogue in the thirties and forties. He designed the world of fashion and ateliers before establishing himself as an artist, but also as a set and costume designer. In 1940, he had designed the costumes for The Thief of Bagdad...

Here for your consideration is a very well executed oil pastel on archival paper by the well known French artist, Marcel Vertes. Signed lower right. Condition is excellent. Circa 1930. The artwork was done early in the artist’s career; most likely in Paris during his time studying at the Academie Julian. The artwork is housed in its original frame under glass. The ornate gold frame has been recently restored and is in good condition. Overall framed measurements are 31.5 by 26.5 inches. Provenance: A Pennsylvania estate. Marcel Vertès (born Marcell Vértes), was born on August 10, 1895 in Budapest, Hungary. His first commercially successful works of art were sketches of corpses, criminals and prostitutes he did for a sensationalist magazine in Budapest. He then did illustrations for many of the clandestinely printed publications opposing the Hapsburg monarchy at the end of WWI. After the war he moved from his native Hungary to Vienna, Austria and then to Paris, where he was a student at the Academy Julian, living and working in the famous Latin Quarter. Vertes quickly established himself as a regular in the Paris art scene and his work became lighter and more lyrical. In Paris he concentrated on illustration, painting and printmaking, especially lithography. In 1935 he made his first trip to New York to make contacts. Two years later he had his first one-man show in New York. At the end of WWII he returned to New York with his wife, escaping the Nazi invasion of Paris by two days. He then began to divide his time between New York and Paris. Ten years later, he returned to his beloved Paris and spent the remaining years of his life there. While in the United States he became a consultant to the Producers and Set Designers of the 1952 Award Winning film Moulin Rouge, about the life and times of artist Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901). He won two Academy Awards for ‘Best Art Direction’ and ‘Best Costume Design’. Interestingly, Marcel Vertès originally earned his tuition money for his European education by making forgeries of Lautrec's works. As such, his expertise was exhibited in the film when his hand is used as the hand of Toulouse Lautrec as he drew, and his images were accordingly used in the film and given appropriate credit in the trailer to the film. Vertes also appeared in the British production credits as Color Production Designer, and Costume Designer for the film, with Schiaparalli (the same of Paris, and Italy). They both jointly won the British Academy Film award in 1952 for Best Costume Design for Moulin Rouge. Vertès is also responsible for the original murals in the Café Carlyle in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City and for those in the Peacock Alley...

Nude From Back is lithograph on Japanese paper realized by Marcel Vertès in the mid-20th Century. Hand-signed on the lower. Included a Passepartout: 58 x 38 cm The artwork is in go...

This is an original hand signed (I believe it is also hand colored but i am not positive) Artists Proof Lithograph of a Circus scene. This depicts a trapeze artist an acrobat on the high wire. This came from a portfolio inscribed by Vertes and also signed by the Surrealist Jean Cocteau. MARCEL VERTES FRENCH HUNGARIAN 1895(Ujpest, Hungary)-1961(Paris, France) art deco artist.Vertes was born in Hungary and died in Paris, but spent a lot of time in New York as well. He was noted as a painter, illustrator, designer and scenic mural painter. His whimsical images graced the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Continuing in the footsteps of Boutet, Forain, Erte, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. Concentrating upon scenes of Paris street life...

This is an original hand signed (I believe it is also hand colored but i am not positive) Artists Proof Lithograph of a Circus scene. This depicts a circus girl with horses. This came from a portfolio inscribed by Vertes and also signed by the Surrealist Jean Cocteau. MARCEL VERTES FRENCH HUNGARIAN 1895(Ujpest, Hungary)-1961(Paris, France) art deco artist.Vertes was born in Hungary and died in Paris, but spent a lot of time in New York as well. He was noted as a painter, illustrator, designer and scenic mural painter. His whimsical images graced the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Continuing in the footsteps of Boutet, Forain, Erte, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. Concentrating upon scenes of Paris street...

This is an original hand signed (I believe it is also hand colored but i am not positive) Artists Proof Lithograph of a Circus scene. This depicts a trapeze artist an acrobat on the high wire. This came from a portfolio inscribed by Vertes and also signed by the Surrealist Jean Cocteau. MARCEL VERTES FRENCH HUNGARIAN 1895(Ujpest, Hungary)-1961(Paris, France) art deco artist.Vertes was born in Hungary and died in Paris, but spent a lot of time in New York as well. He was noted as a painter, illustrator, designer and scenic mural...

This is an original hand signed (I believe it is also hand colored but i am not positive) Artists Proof Lithograph of a Circus scene. This depicts a Cabaret Dancer. This came from a portfolio inscribed by Vertes and also signed by the Surrealist Jean Cocteau. MARCEL VERTES FRENCH HUNGARIAN 1895(Ujpest, Hungary)-1961(Paris, France) art deco artist.Vertes was born in Hungary and died in Paris, but spent a lot of time in New York as well. He was noted as a painter, illustrator, designer and scenic mural painter. His whimsical images graced the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Continuing in the footsteps of Boutet, Forain, Erte, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. Concentrating upon scenes of Paris street life...

This is an original hand signed (I believe it is also hand colored but i am not positive) Artists Proof Lithograph of a Circus scene. This depicts a trapeze artist an acrobat on the high wire. This came from a portfolio inscribed by Vertes and also signed by the Surrealist Jean Cocteau. MARCEL VERTES FRENCH HUNGARIAN 1895(Ujpest, Hungary)-1961(Paris, France) art deco artist.Vertes was born in Hungary and died in Paris, but spent a lot of time in New York as well. He was noted as a painter, illustrator, designer and scenic mural painter. His whimsical images graced the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Continuing in the footsteps of Boutet, Forain, Erte, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. Concentrating upon scenes of Paris street life...