Neoclassical ladies – Meissner & Buch, c. 1900
€650
‘WEDGWOOD GIRLS’ – ORIGINAL POSTCARD DESIGNS, C. 1900
Three original gouaches by the monogrammist ‘M.S.M.’, executed around 1900 as designs for picture postcards published by the Leipzig firm Meissner & Buch. Each bears the monogram ‘M.S.M.’. Size: 19.2 × 13.8 cm each.
These charming designs each depict two young women dressed in graceful robes inspired by classical antiquity. Their elegant poses, elaborate hairstyles and flowing draperies lend the compositions a distinctly neoclassical character. In one gouache, a woman admires herself in a hand mirror while her companion looks over her shoulder. Another depicts two women holding hands, while in the third, two young women appear to be sharing a confidence.
The figures are rendered in delicate ivory-white tones, with subtle grey and golden-brown shading, against a warm pinkish terracotta background. The distinctive colour scheme and sculptural modelling create the illusion that the women are emerging from the paper as carved reliefs. The designs are strongly reminiscent of classical cameos and the celebrated Wedgwood jasperware, in which white relief decorations stand out against a coloured background. It is this resemblance that gives the compositions their name, ‘Wedgwood Girls’.
The designs were intended for Meissner & Buch of Leipzig, a renowned German lithographic printing and publishing firm established in 1861. The company gained an international reputation for its high-quality chromolithographs and illustrated postcards. Its products were distributed internationally, including through an office in London.
Around 1900, the illustrated picture postcard enjoyed an unprecedented period of popularity. Publishers collaborated with artists and illustrators who created original artwork specifically intended for reproduction. These three meticulously executed gouaches are fine examples of this tradition of graphic design. They combine the elegance of classical antiquity with the refined decorative taste of the Belle Époque.
Unlike the mass-produced picture postcards, these are unique, original hand-painted designs.
Price: Èuro 650,- each (including frame).
