New York, NY, USA, February 18, 2022 -- The 86th Rare Posters Auction from Poster Auctions International on Sunday, March 20 features rare and iconic images from a century of poster design. The collection includes Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern, and Contemporary works covering a variety of topics and styles.
Jack Rennert, president of Poster Auctions International, Inc., said, “This auction not only features top works by our most beloved artists, but also includes rarely seen images, maquettes, drawings, and books. From the Belle Époque designs of Alphonse Mucha and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to the Jazz Age fashions of Paul Colin and Charles Loupot, there is truly something special for every collector at this sale.”
The auction will begin with 29 designs for bicycles. Highlights include Achille Butteri’s ca. 1898 Cycles Perfecta (est. $7,000-$9,000), Pal’s ca. 1899 Phébus (est. $3,000-$4,000), H. Gray’s ca. 1900 Cycles “Brillant” (est. $2,500-$3,000), Marcello Dudovich’s 1934 Cicli Dei (est. $6,000-$7,000), and a rare anonymous design from ca. 1920 promoting Harry D. Elkes and Major Taylor for Iver Johnson Racer (est. $2,000-$2,500).
Next, posters for automobiles and aviation will be offered. The designs for cars range from the early Huile Rigal by Noël Dorville (est. $3,000-$4,000) to two powerful promotions for the Monaco Grand Prix of 1930 and 1932 by Robert Falcucci (est. $25,000-$30,000 and $20,000-$25,000). Aviation buffs will delight in the 15 lots available, including Charles Léonce Brossé’s classic 1910 Meeting d’Aviation / Nice (est. $10,000-$12,000), Harold McCready’s 1929 Imperial Airways (est. $4,000-$5,000), W. E. C. Book’s rare 1935 Royal Air Force / Hendon (est. $4,000-$5,000), and contemporary designs for TWA, Piedmont, and more.
22 War & Propaganda posters will be offered, including Howard Chandler Christy’s 1917 I Want You for the Navy (est. $1,200-$1,500), James Montgomery Flagg’s never-before-seen ca. 1917 Some Backing / The Empire State (est. $1,400-$1,700), Julius Ussy Engelhard’s 1918 Anarchie (est. $2,500-$3,000), a variety of international World War II designs, and a selection of images from Israel.
Next, 24 American Literary Posters will be up for bidding. These early designs for Lippincott’s, Harper’s, The Century, and Scribner’s helped establish the American poster aesthetic. The posters by Will Carqueville, Joseph J. Gould, Jr., Edward Penfield, William H. Bradley, George Wharton Edwards, and Howard Chandler Christy are estimated at $1,000-$2,500.
This auction features several notable artist collections. From Leonetto Cappiello—the “father of modern advertising”—20 lithographs and maquettes will be up for bidding. Important works include his 1903 Absinthe Gempp Pernod (est. $6,000-$7,000), the 1906 Zeste (est. $8,000-$10,000), a 1912 maquette for Ramos Pinto / Vinho do Porto (est. $12,000-$15,000), the rare 1912 Pineral (est. $8,000-$10,000), the dramatic 1921 Cordial Campari (est. $17,000-$20,000), the 1922 maquette for “VOV” (est. $14,000-$17,000), and his joyous 1927 Nice (est. $7,000-$9,000).
The champion posterist of Jazz Age Paris, Paul Colin, will have some of his most important works at auction. These include his iconic—and incredibly rare—1927 Bal Nègre (est. $70,000-$90,000), the 1947 Katherine Dunham (est. $4,000-$5,000), his 1930 Musée d’Ethnographie (est. $7,000-$9,000), and a unique ca. 1970 menu design, Tabarin (est. $4,000-$5,000).
A fellow virtuoso of the Art Deco era, A. M. Cassandre will have 8 of his most powerful designs available, including the 1927 Nord Express (est. $20,000-$25,000), the 1928 Statendam (est. $10,000-$12,000), the 1935 Normandie (est. $10,000-$12,000), the 1928 The Continent via Harwich (est. $17,000-$20,000), and his 1929 La Route Bleue (est. $20,000-$25,000).
Seminal works from Charles Loupot will also be auctioned, including two for St. Raphaël: his very first poster for the brand of bitters, St. Raphaël, from 1937 (est. $25,000-$30,000), and his second design from 1938, St. Raphaël / Quinquina—the only known copy of this 8-sheet, large format design (est. $35,000-$45,000). An original 1923 maquette, Les Chaussures Cecil, will also be offered (est. $8,000-$10,000).
Further Art Deco highlights include: Francis Bernard’s Nicolas (est. $3,000-$4,000), Karl Bickel’s 1928 PKZ / So Kleidet (est. $4,000-$5,000), Roger Broders’ 1927 Le Tour du Mt. Blanc (est. $4,000-$5,000) and his 1927 Grasse (est. $3,500-$4,500), Boris Bućan’s 1983 “Firebird” & “Petrushka” (est. $10,000-$15,000), Jean-Gabriel Domergue’s 1937 L’Hiver à Monte-Carlo (est. $8,000-$10,000), Jean Dupas’ 1937 Bordeaux (est. $5,000-$6,000), Josef Fenneker’s 1921 Marmorhaus / Der Teufel und die Circe (est. $3,500-$4,000), Erich Heckel’s 1920 Kaiser Wilhelm Museum Crefeld / I Ausstellung (est. $7,000-$9,000), and E. McKnight Kauffer’s 1924 Eno’s Fruit Salt (est. $10,000-$12,000)—one of only two known copies in the largest, four-sheet format.
From the master innovator of lithography, Jules Chéret, 16 choice lithographs and paintings will be offered, including his 1890 Théâtrophone (est. $2,500-$3,000), The Arts from 1891 (est. $20,000-$25,000), his 1893 Folies-Bergère / La Loïe Fuller (est. $4,000-$5,000), and three original paintings with estimates ranging from $8,000 to $20,000.
From Ludwig Hohlwein, 6 rare and important designs will be available. These include his 1907 Hermann Scherrer / Breechesmaker (est. $8,000-$10,000), the 1908 Café Odeon und Billard Akademie (est. $10,000-$12,000), and a rare 1912 poster for the Zoologischer Garten München, featuring a vibrant pink flamingo (est. $8,000-$10,000).
Collectors of works by Alphonse Mucha will be delighted with the 37 offerings, which include revered posters, original artwork, and rare books. Among the posters available are the larger and smaller format versions of his 1896 Lorenzaccio (est. $12,000-$15,000 and $4,500-$5,500); his 1898 Medée (est. $20,000-$25,000); a rare variant of his 1899 Salon des Cent / XXme Exposition, printed in gold ink in an edition of 25 copies (est. $20,000-$25,000); The Seasons from 1896 (est. $40,000-$50,000); two extremely rare Champenois Calendar designs from ca. 1898 (each est. $17,000-$20,000); and his 1903 Exposition de St. Louis (est. $12,000-$15,000). And Mucha’s revered Documents Décoratifs portfolio, from 1902, will also be up for bidding (est. $25,000-$30,000).
For another titan of the Belle Époque, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 31 of his rarest and most career-defining works will up for bidding. The design that launched his poster career, the 1891 Moulin Rouge / La Goulue is included (est. $230,000-$250,000). Further prestigious posters include his 1896 the Ault & Wiborg Co. (est. $30,000-$40,000); the 1896 The Chap Book (est. $40,000-$50,000); the 1896 Salon des Cent, one of 50 impressions, before letters, and hand-signed (est. $35,000-$45,000); the extremely rare 1898 L’Automobiliste, from an edition of 25 (est. $40,000-$50,000); the 1899 Le Jockey (est. $50,000-$60,000), and the only known copy of a proof for this poster (est. $30,000-$40,000); and the 1899 Jane Avril (est. $60,000-$70,000). An original 1892 drawing, La Goulue, will also be available (est. $100,000-$120,000).
Additional Art Nouveau masterpieces include Gisbert Combaz’s 1897 1er Congres International des Avocats (est. $7,000-$9,000), Georges de Feure’s 1897 Le Journal des Ventes (est. $10,000-$12,000), Eugène Grasset’s ca. 1905 Abricotine (est. $6,000-$8,000), Jules-Alexandre Grün’s 1902 maquette for Scala / C’est d’un Raid! (est. $6,000-$8,000), Adolfo Hohenstein’s 1900 Monaco / Expositions de Canots Automobiles (est. $10,000-$12,000), Privat Livemont’s 1896 Absinthe Robette (est. $12,000-$15,000) and his 1897 Bitter Oriental (est. $5,000-$6,000), Leopoldo Metlicovitz’s ca. 1910 Flouvella (est. $5,000-$6,000), two 1897 Pal designs for Folies-Bergère / La Loïe Fuller (each est. $6,000-$7,000), Walter Schnackenberg’s 1912 Odeon Casino (est. $25,000-$30,000), Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen’s 1899 Motocycles Comiot (est. $25,000-$30,000), and Jacques Villon’s 1901 Guinguette Fleurie (est. $40,000-$50,000).
Public viewings will be held daily from February 25 to March 19. For more information and to order the catalogue, visit www.posterauctions.com. You may call the gallery at (212) 787-4000. For general inquiries, the email address is info@posterauctions.com.
About Poster Auctions International:
Poster Auctions International is one of the very few auction houses in the world dealing exclusively in rare, original vintage posters. Since the late 1980s, PAI has held auctions 3-4 times a year. Poster aficionados, enthusiasts, collectors, galleries and leading art museums around the world value Rennert’s Gallery as one of their most trusted venues for successful consignments, unique buying opportunities, unequaled experience in the field, and an impeccable eye for quality in original poster art. The gallery, at 26 W. 17th Street in New York City, hosts rotating exhibitions of original poster art, as well as a bookstore of research and coffee-table volumes on poster art, and an extensive research archive open to the public by appointment. To learn more, visit www.posterauctions.com, or call them at 212-787-4000.