LUCIEN METIVET (1863-1932) CYRANO DE BERGERAC. 1898.

90x31 1/2 inches. Charles Verneau, Paris.
Condition B+: overpainting and restoration in margins; vertical and horizontal folds.
Lucien Metivet studied classical art at the Academie Julian and at the Atelier Cormon before he turned his talents to illustration for Dentu, enoch, Flammarion and Ollendorf. He joined the unofficial merry clique of Montmartre artists who regularly contributed to the popular satirical magazines of the era (L'Assiette au Beurre, Le Rire, etc). Like practically all of his fellow artists he enjoyed designing posters, his most famous image being for the singer Eugenie Buffet. This previously unrecorded image is for one of the biggest theatrical hits of the era. The play was written by Edmond Rostand, who had been elected to the Academie Francaise on the heels of his other great dramatic successes like L'Aiglon and Chantecler. This poster features Cyrano seen in profile to emphasize his legendary nose.