Most people probably know the charming and cheerful pin-up paintings and drawings by Gil Elvgren or Alberto Vargas. But there were many predecessors for pin-up drawings in the Belle Epoque time, by artists who are forgotten nowadays. These artists worked as illustrators for the periodicals at that time, i.e. the famous magazines "La Vie Parisienne" or "Le Sourire". Many of the colorful illustrations were also published on series of postcards, and sometimes they had a pretty risqué character. We mention here several artists, from whom postcards or prints are available at online auctions or antique fairs. The available information about most of these artists is very scarce. A very valuable resource of information is the blog by Steven Bishop about Boudoir Art (see the link at "Websites").
Important Belle Epoque illustrators:
- Fabien Fabiano
(Jules Coup de Fréjac; 1882 - 1962)
- Léo Fontan (1884 - 1965)
- Chéri Hérouard
(Chéri-Louis-Marie-Aime Haume, 1881 - 1961)
- Louis Icart (1888 - 1950)
- Kaby
- Raphael Kirchner (1876 - 1917)
- Georges Léonnec (1881 - 1940)
- Suzanne Meunier (1888 - 1974)
- Maurice Millière (1871 - 1946)
- Ney (?)
- Albert Joseph Pénot (1862 - 1930)
- Maurice Pepin (~1890 - ~1940)
- Jean Tam (?)
- Vald'Es (or Val d'Es, Valdes, Valdex)
Louis-Denis Valvérane (1870-1943)
Georges D'Espagnat (1870-1950)
From some illustrators, i.e. Suzanne Meunier, Léo Fontan or Chéri Hérouard, we are not able to show exemplary postcards, because the artwork is not yet public domain. Their work extended also to the post World War I time and Art Deco.
Bibliography:
Websites / References:
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La Vie Parisienne
55e Année No 45 - Samedi 10 Novembre 1917
Illustration by Georges Léonnec
La Vie Parisienne
55e Année No 45 - Samedi 10 Novembre 1917
Illustration by Vald'Es
(Valvérane & d'Espagnat)
Le Sourire
30e Année, No 549 - Jeudi 10 Novembre 1927
Illustration by Georges Léonnec
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