26 / 242
FÉLIX VALLOTTON (1865-1925)
17
●
ED. SAGOT / [“LES AMATEURS D’ESTAMPES.”] 1892.
10x12
3
/
4
inches, 25
1
/
2
x32
1
/
2
cm. Ed. Sagot, Paris.
Condition A: ink stamp in upper image; slight mat staining in margins; hinged to mat at top edge. Paper.
Matted and framed.
Sagot was a pioneer figure in the world of the fin-de-siècle Parisian poster market. As early as 1886, he
was offering Chéret’s posters in his catalogue. In 1891, Sagot published a catalogue offering 2233 posters
for sale to eager collectors. The cover of this catalogue, as well as a large poster advertising the
publication, was designed by Jules Chéret. For his next foray into advertising, Sagot turned to a new
talent: Félix Vallotton, a young Swiss artist who belonged to the circle of the Nabis and La Revue
Blanche. Here, in Vallotton’s inimitable black and white woodblock style, a throng of eager poster lovers
is gathered in front of Sagot’s gallery, along a strong diagonal axis established by the sidewalk. The
image was so popular that even when Sagot moved his gallery to a new location he continued to use
the old print, merely updating it with an ink stamp as we see here. This image basically became his logo
and he used it on leaflets, frame labels and other collateral material. Vallotton 107, DFP-II 858.
[800/1,200]
SIDNEY RANSOM (SIGNED MOSNAR YENDIS, DATES UNKNOWN)
18
●
THE POSTER / AN ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY CHRONICLE. 1898.
29
1
/
4
x19
1
/
4
inches, 74
1
/
4
x49 cm. David Allen & Sons, Ltd., Harrow.
Condition A-: minor repaired tears at edges; minor creases along horizontal folds. Framed. Unexamined
out of frame.
The spread of postermania around the world was helped by a proliferation of magazines and journals
dedicated to the art form. These magazines sprung up in England, The United States, Germany and
in other countries. This poster for the eponymously named British magazine cleverly, humorously
and self referentially, evokes the appeal of posters as one character removes himself from his hoarding
to gaze admiringly at another poster of a woman. The periodical itself was an informative, revealing
and sometimes (unintentionally) humorous magazine offering an insight into the artists, dealers,
techniques and style of the era. Mosnar Yendis is really Sidney Ransom (with his name spelled
backwards), who designed a number of British theatrical posters. DFP-1145, Affiche Anglaise np, Weill
p. 55, Art Nouveau p. 186.
[700/1,000]
17