La Garonne – Arthur Foäche, 1898
€3.250
“La Garonne”, colour lithograph with gold, designed by Arthur Foäche and printed in 1898 by Imprimerie Cassan Fils. Size: 51.5 × 68.7 cm.
This elegant poster presents an allegorical representation of the river Garonne, the great river that rises in the Pyrenees and flows via Toulouse to Bordeaux and the Atlantic Ocean. The river is depicted as a graceful female figure. On the left her arm rests on the spring from which the water flows. She is surrounded by irises and narcissi, while her long, flowing hair suggests the movement of the river’s current.
The composition is typical of Art Nouveau, in which natural motifs, flowing lines and female allegories play a central role. The refined linear style and the elegant pose of the figure clearly reveal the influence of Alphonse Mucha, whose famous poster for the Salon des Cent (1896) provided an important model for this type of composition. Foäche, however, developed his own colour scheme: cool blue-green and golden tones dominate the image and give the scene a harmonious, almost aquatic atmosphere.
The lithograph was made by Imprimerie Cassan Fils, one of the most important printing houses in Toulouse at the end of the nineteenth century. The firm was known for its high-quality posters and lithographic printing and collaborated with several artists from the region. In the 1890s Cassan Fils also maintained an office in Paris and commissioned posters from artists such as Henri-Gabriel Ibels, George Baylac, Alphonse Mucha, and here Arthur Foäche (1871–1967).
The poster was not intended as a commercial advertisement but as a presentation gift for the Société Toulousaine de Lithographie & Chromolithographie. In doing so, the printing house demonstrated both its technical mastery and artistic ambition. The result is a successful combination of regional identity (the river of Toulouse) and international Art Nouveau style, making the poster both a work of art and a showcase for the printer’s craftsmanship.
Price : Euro 3.250,-
Prijs: Euro 3.250,-
