Jean-Georges Besson Art

Limited edition vintage lithographic reproduction poster of "Le Théâtrophone" by Jules Cheret, published in 1968 by The Sunday Times (London). This limited edition poster is numbere...

These beautiful and colorful lithographic posters were hand reproduced by the Mourlot Studio's Master Printer Henri Deschamps in 1969. They are not to be mistaken with later cheap di...

Moto-Flirt Color lithograph, c. 1902 Signed in the stone lower right (see photo) Published by Edmund Sagot (1857-1917), Paris Printed by Atelier Chaix, Paris Large edition with title and text Part of a series of two humorous auto related images depicting Brass Era French automobiles. Titled center lower margin (see photo) Lower left in margin: "Imp. CHAIX, Paris" (see photo) Lower right in margin: "Ed. Sagot, Editeur: (see photo) Condition: Excellent Never matted or framed Colors fresh and unfaded Image size: 19 5/8 x 13 inches Sheet size: 27 x 18 1/4 inches Provenance: Edmund Sagot (1857-1917), publisher Sagot Heirs Georges Meunier (1869-1934) Meunier was born in Saint-Cloud, France in 1869. He moved to Paris as a young man and studied at the National School of Fine Arts; there, he was a student of artist Joseph-Robert Fleury. Following this training, Meunier attended The School for the Decorative Arts where he was trained in both classical and modern design, these skills would later influence his poster graphics. Subsequent to his education, Meunier's posters were exhibited in salons throughout Paris, giving his work notoriety. George Meunier was a prolific artist at the turn-of-the-century influenced greatly by Cheret, the founder of the advertising poster movement. Meunier succeeded Cheret at the Chaix printing house as principal artist and director. He worked as a poster artist for only a short time, making a career change to a book illustrator, which he pursued until the end of his life. Publisher: Edmund Sagot Courtesy of French Wikipedia Edmond-Honoré Sagot , born in 1857 and died on April 6 , 1917, is a bookseller , art dealer , publisher of prints and original posters . In 1881 he founded the house “Ed. Sagot” in Paris. This establishment still exists under the name “ Sagot - Le Garrec ” and is one of the oldest art galleries still in operation. Edmond Sagot is the first contemporary art dealer...

These beautiful and colorful lithographic posters were hand reproduced by the Mourlot Studio's Master Printer Henri Deschamps in 1969. They are not to be mistaken with later cheap di...

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, HENRI DE (1864-1901) "Yvette Guilbert – A Menilmontant de Bruant" Delteil 255, Adhemar 311 Lithograph printed in black with beige t...

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, HENRI DE (1864-1901) "LA CHAINE SIMPSON" Original lithograph from "Les Maitres de L'Affiche" series Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris Bearing MDL stamp lower right, from issue #60, 1900. Plate #238 Unframed Size: 11 3/8 x 15 3/4” The "Les Maitres de l'Affiche" series was offered as a subscription series to collectors every month for 60 months, from December 1895 through November 1900. The "Maitres de l'Affiche," were issued as separate numbered sheets, referred to as "plates". They were numbered, with the printers name "Imprimerie Chaix," in the margin at the bottom left hand corner, "PL.1" to "PL.240." In the margin at the bottom right hand corner of each, is a blind embossed stamp from a design of Cheret's. The smaller format and the fact the "Maitres" were a paid subscription series, allowed Imprimerie Chaix to use the latest state of the art printing techniques, not normally used in the large format posters due to cost. A very high quality of paper was used, where as the large format posters were printed on lesser quality newsprint, due to cost and a short expected life span. This explains why the quality of the printing, in the "Maitres de l'Affiche," usually far exceeds that of their larger counterparts. "In her recent excellent biography of Lautrec, Julia Frey indicates that 'Henry, the frustrated athlete, was compulsively familiar with the vocabulary and technical aspects of a variety of sports in which he could participate as a spectator: horse and bicycle racing, wrestling, yachting, bullfighting. He watched them all with the same intensity that he watched a line of dancers or a circus bareback rider, attracted by the beauty of movement, but also by the smells, sounds and excitement of the spectacle (Frey, p.353) His 'insider' knowledge of the cycling field shows up abundantly in this poster for the French agent of the Simpson bicycle chain company. In the foreground is the champion cyclist Constant Huret. In the background are Tristan Bernard, the sports impresario who was a close friend of Lautrec, with Louis Bougle, the French agent who adopted the name 'Spoke.' A touch of levity is added by what appears to be a 'bicycle-built-for-ten' in the upper-left corner, in fact it's two five-seaters, known at the time as 'quints.'"(Rennert, PAI-XXII, 35)Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec came from an aristocratic background, having been born the son of an earl.Even as a schoolboy he showed a talent for drawing. By 14 he had suffered two horse back riding accidents, combined with a serious bone disease which eventually left him crippled for life. His body continued to grow but not his legs, he would remain only five feet tall and suffer pain and embarrassment his entire life.At the age of 18, Lautrec moved to Montmartre in Paris to study art seriously. He worked with artists Louis Anquentin, Emile Bernard, Degas, Van Gogh and others. He became a frequenter of the the cafes, cabarets and brothels of the neighborhood, drawing from them inspirations for his artistic themes. As the artist's stature grew, several magazines wanted to publish his work, including Le Rire. His subjects, as well as street life, included some of the most famous music-hall performers, with whom he became friends, such as Yvette Guilbert, La Goulue Jane Avril, May Milton, May Belfort...

VALLOTTON, F. (1865 - 1925) "Ah! la Pe . . . la Pe . . . la Pepiniere" Original lithograph from “Les Maitres de L’Affiche” series Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris Bearing MDL stam...

ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860 – 1939) Flirt Biscuits Rennert/Weill 72 Lithograph in colors c. 1900 Signed in stone, lower right margin Image: 24” x 11”, Paper: 25 ¼” x 11 ¾” F...

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, HENRI DE (1864-1901) "FEMME AU TUB" (Woman with Tub) From the series, “Elles”, c. 1896 Wittrock 159, Adhemar 204 From the edition of 100; per Wittrock Original color crayon brush and splatter lithograph, five colors, printed on wove paper Printed without margins to deckled edge of paper Bearing Artist’s Monogram Stamp...

RASSENFOSSE, ARMAND (1862 – 1934) "Grande Brasserie Van Velsen" Original lithograph from “Les Maitres de L’Affiche” series Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris Bearing MDL stamp lowe...

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, HENRI DE (1864-1901) "LA VACHE ENRAGÉE" Wittrock P27B, Adhemar 197 Original color lithograph Wittrock’s State III of III with letters Printed on buff wove paper, c. 1896 Bears artist stamp “TL” upper right, dated 96 Image size: 22 1/2” x 23 5/8” Several examples are known where Lautrec drew on work by other artists whom he admired. In this poster there are clear references to Adolphe Willette's humorous themes and rococo style of illustration. Willette was the founder and illustrator of the short-lived monthly “La Vache Enragee”(the angry cow) edited by the cartoonist Adolphe Roedel. This colored poster of the same title was commissioned for the appearance of the magazine March 1896. As a reference to the wretched financial state of most artists, the term “manger de la vache enrage” (meaning roughly, “meaning not having enough to eat”) was adopted as the motto for the “Vachalcade”which was held on Montmarte annually from 1896. This was an artists' procession, with fanfares and allegories on fame and the muses; it also included a furious cow and a troupe of pretty girls as a satire on Europa with the bull. The event was organized by Roedel"(Adriani p.217) Toulouse-Lautrec took up lithography at a high point in its history, when technical advances in color printing and new possibilities for large scale led to a proliferation of posters as well as prints for the new bourgeois collector. In his short career, he created more than three hundred fifty prints and thirty posters, as well as lithographed theater programs...

PALEOLOGUE, JEAN DE(PAL) (1860 -1942) "Rudge Cycles" Lithograph in color, linen-backed c. 1898 Sheet size: 56.75” x 41.75” Imprimerie Paul Dupont, ParisStamp: Republique Francais, lower left Colors fresh Jean de Paleologue...