| Absinthe Posters VII - Original Artwork for Absinthe Blanqui |
| A recent discovery - two preliminary sketches (or maquettes) in ink, pastel and watercolour for one of the most famous of all absinthe posters, Absinthe Blanqui's smiling redhead, printed sometime between 1898 and 1901. The printer was L.Revon et Cie, situated in Paris at 93 Rue Oberkampf. The artist's signature "Nover" is a mystery - no designer by that name is recorded. Since however the word is a palindrome of Revon, the assumption must be that the artist was Revon himself, or alternatively an anonymous employee of the firm. The same artist was responsible for the well-known Absinthe Vichet poster, also printed by Revon et Cie. |
The often reproduced Absinthe
Blanqui poster - a
quintessential art-nouveau
image, heavily influenced by
the then fashionable vogue for
orientalism. The original is
rare, with only three surviving
copies recorded.
Reproductions of this poster -
and of most of the other
posters shown here - can be
bought at our CafePress store.
Click on the image to see an
enlarged version.
Blanqui poster - a
quintessential art-nouveau
image, heavily influenced by
the then fashionable vogue for
orientalism. The original is
rare, with only three surviving
copies recorded.
Reproductions of this poster -
and of most of the other
posters shown here - can be
bought at our CafePress store.
Click on the image to see an
enlarged version.
From the first maquette comes the
design of the frame, the basic
position of the girl's head, and the
configuration of her fingers holding
the glass.
Format: 49 x 32cm
design of the frame, the basic
position of the girl's head, and the
configuration of her fingers holding
the glass.
Format: 49 x 32cm
The second maquette has the girl in
profile, gazing upwards at the glass of
absinthe. She is facing left rather than
right as in the poster, but her green
dress, the sinuous green ribbons
surrounding her and the serpent
clasp around her arm are all echoed
in the final version.
The position of the girl's head and the
design of her hair in this sketch are
reminiscent of Privat-Livemont's 1896
poster for Absinthe Robette, and it is
possible that this was modified in the
final version specifically so that the
Blanqui poster did not too closely
resemble Privat-Livemont's design.
Format: 49 x 32cm
profile, gazing upwards at the glass of
absinthe. She is facing left rather than
right as in the poster, but her green
dress, the sinuous green ribbons
surrounding her and the serpent
clasp around her arm are all echoed
in the final version.
The position of the girl's head and the
design of her hair in this sketch are
reminiscent of Privat-Livemont's 1896
poster for Absinthe Robette, and it is
possible that this was modified in the
final version specifically so that the
Blanqui poster did not too closely
resemble Privat-Livemont's design.
Format: 49 x 32cm
Advertising carton for
Oranginette designed by
Nover in similar style.
Oranginette designed by
Nover in similar style.
| Click here to buy a reproduction print of this sketch. |
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