Bon Ton Gazette No. 9 Autumnal Symphony art print – Barbier – 1922

Bon Ton Gazette, Plate No. 9 Autumnal Symphony Coat, and Afternoon Dress, from House of Worth, George Barbier

Founded by Lucien Vogel in 1912, the Gazette du Bon Ton was a small but highly influential French fashion magazine. The publication offered its readership the latest developments in fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Fashion along with art and society was in a period of revolutionary change. Bon Ton, signed exclusivity contracts with seven of Paris’ top couture houses – Cherut, Doucet, Redfern, Doeuillet, Pacquin, Poiret and House of Worth. It set about to establish fashion as another art form, as important as painting, sculpture and drawing.

The exclusive and expensive high-end fashion magazine was printed on high-quality paper which elevated the finish of the superb fashion illustrations. Each issue featured ten full-page fashion plates (seven depicting couture designs and three inspired by couture but designed solely by the illustrators)

According to an article about Georges Lepape on the libreriaperini website, ‘The “Gazette” featured elegant fashions of pre and postwar France by leading designers, utilising the technology that revolutionized fashion illustration—pochoir, or stenciling by hand with watercolor.

The magazine employed many of the most famous Art Deco artists and illustrators of the day, including Georges Lepape, Etienne Drian, Erté (Romain de Tirtoff), Paul Iribe, Pierre Brissaud, André Edouard Marty, Thayaht (Ernesto Michahelles), Edouard Garcia Benito, Soeurs David (David Sisters), Pierre Mourgue, Robert Bonfils, Bernard Boutet de Monvel, Maurice Leroy, Zyg Brunner and of course the artist responsible for this art print Plate No. 9 Autumnal Symphony Coat, and Afternoon Dress, from Worth.

These artists, rather than simply drawing models in outfits, depicted them in various dramatic and narrative situations.

The French artist and illustrator George Barbier was born in Nantes, n 1882. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential French illustrators of the early twentieth century. He was one of those artists that covered almost every aspect of design. His work encompassed costume design for theatre, stage, ballet and film. He designed wallpaper, jewellery, glass and textiles. He not only illustrated books and magazines he also wrote essays and articles for them as well.

Barbier is probably best known for his fashion images portraying Parisian high society in a stylish, elegant and frankly beautiful manner.  His illustrations featured in fashion publications including Modes et manières d’aujourd’hui, La Guirlande des mois and Le Bonheur du jour.

In 1922, Barbier released his own publication called Falbalas et fanfreluches, which translates into English and Ruffles and Frills. Falbalas et fanfreluches was published for four years. Each annual edition was limited to 600 copies containing 12 hand-coloured plates in each.

The image featured on this page is plate 1 of 40. It is titled L’Ensie and features a woman arriving at her destination and alighting from her car to be greeted by her beau, who kisses her hand. The two servants, the chauffeur sitting at the wheel of an automobile and a maid waiting patiently with a hatbox stare stoically into the distance attempting to ignore the proceedings.

Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears, or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.

The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £12. So you can bag a bargain of print and poster for just £22.