By George! (II)

‘George Barbier – The Birth of Art Deco’, edited by Barbara Martorelli, published by Marcilio EditoriThis beautiful and inspiring book monograph on George Barbier (1882–1932) depicts a broad spectrum of his work, from the earliest pieces signed with his pseudonym Edward William Larry, to his work for the theatre, fashion plates, almanacs, book designs, advertising, erotica and more.

Barbier’s subjects are nearly always lighthearted, but his linework is exquisite, the design of the detailed patterns intricate. There are quite a few instances where the rough sketch is shown next to the finished illustration, which is fascinating to see.

Sketch and final illustration of Mademoiselle Sorel en grand habit, 1924La Belle Hélène from Personnages de Comédie, 1922One short chapter describes the painstaking pochoir stencil technique, which Barbier fully supported, far preferring it to the quality of prints obtained by contemporary photomechanical methods.

Happily, printing methods have improved vastly since then, and this book is beautifully produced, both in design and reproduction. The paper is thick and creamy, a gorgeous foundation for the illustrations, and puts my old 70s and 80s books on Art Deco illustration to shame. Although it was an expensive purchase, it was well worth it, for there is so much to look at and take in with every illustration.

A selection of covers of ‘La Guirlande des mois’ and ‘Falbalas et Fanfreluches’ almanacs