I started looking into this art movement Maîtres de l’Affiche (Masters of the Poster), after visiting this little boutique in South Pasadena that was closing down. I can’t recall what kind of shop it was, but basically, everything was for sale…the products, fixtures, furniture, some good stuff, some bad. But there was only one item that caught my eye, the huge bright vintage yellow poster with a girl on a moped that read “favor”.
“How much is that?” I inquired.
The shop girl replied, “Oh that. That’s the only thing in the store not for sale. The owner is keeping that.”
Basically, ever since then, fell in love with the French poster movement of the 19 century…but more so the works the Italian artists like Leonetto Cappiello (the father of modern advertising). I discovered later that the poster I saw at that little boutique is by an artist named Bellenger, produced sometime in the 50′s. It’s not part of the Maitre De L’Affiche…but I’m more into the essence of that design aesthetic more than the specific pieces of that era.
Anyways, don’t own one yet. Perhaps one day when I decide to spend a thousand dollars on a piece of art, this will likely be high on the list.
(here’s a pretty cool video intro to this French poster art movement).