Exquisite French Antique Pochoir Fashion Plate
The vivid colours in this French fashion plate from the June 1913 Gazette du Bon Ton are stunning. Titled ‘Le Citron’ it depicts a model wearing a summer dress by Paul Poiret. She is in the process of picking lemons. This fashion plate has a warm summer air about it. The rich pastel colours and the soft flow of the garment create a sense of elegance. The artwork has been created using the pochoir process.
Pochoir is one of the oldest art printing techniques and dates back to the stone age. In French, pochoir means stencil. It is a highly refined technique of making fine limited editions of stencil prints. No printing press was used in the production of pochoir. Each print can be termed a ‘one off’ and is unique rather than uniform. It was made by the artist’s hand, using hand cut stencils, often made from sheets of copper or zinc. A separate stencil was made for each colour component. Layers of colour and texture were built up by hand using paint or gauche. This was applied to the stencil using a brush called a ‘pom pom’. The artist had total control. Skilled printers could create incredibly subtle details using graduation, stippling, spattering or by drawing additional details using a small brush on the final layer. Sometimes, as many as 100 stencils were used to create a single image. This resulted in rich, detailed images. The paint would sit on the surface, rather than soaking in, (as is the case with ink), creating the vivid colours that we see in pochoir.
Gazette du Bon Ton was a small yet influential French fashion magazine from 1912 to 1925. It was founded by Lucien Vogel and it reflected the latest in fashion, lifestyle and beauty. The title of the magazine was derived from the French concept of ‘bon ton’, meaning timeless good taste and refinement. It strove to present an elitist image in order to distinguish itself from mainstream competitors of the day, such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. It was available by subscription only and it was very exclusive. Gazette du Bon Ton was published on fine paper and it was signed up with many of Paris’ top couture houses to produce luxurious pochoir prints of the designers’ latest creations. Some of the most notable artists of the time were, Umbert Brunelleschii, Leon Bakst, J. van Brock, Etienne Drian, Pierre Legrain, Victor Lheur, Antione Vallee and Georges Barbier.
This pochoir fashion plate has been signed in the top right hand corner. It is over 110 years old and, considering its age, it is in excellent condition. This beauty deserves an equally gorgeous frame to show it in its best form. It has been created on quality card grade paper, presented in a light card jacket. The plate itself measures 24.5 cms by 19.5 cms.
The vivid colours in this French fashion plate from the June 1913 Gazette du Bon Ton are stunning. Titled ‘Le Citron’ it depicts a model wearing a summer dress by Paul Poiret. She is in the process of picking lemons. This fashion plate has a warm summer air about it. The rich pastel colours and the soft flow of the garment create a sense of elegance. The artwork has been created using the pochoir process.
Pochoir is one of the oldest art printing techniques and dates back to the stone age. In French, pochoir means stencil. It is a highly refined technique of making fine limited editions of stencil prints. No printing press was used in the production of pochoir. Each print can be termed a ‘one off’ and is unique rather than uniform. It was made by the artist’s hand, using hand cut stencils, often made from sheets of copper or zinc. A separate stencil was made for each colour component. Layers of colour and texture were built up by hand using paint or gauche. This was applied to the stencil using a brush called a ‘pom pom’. The artist had total control. Skilled printers could create incredibly subtle details using graduation, stippling, spattering or by drawing additional details using a small brush on the final layer. Sometimes, as many as 100 stencils were used to create a single image. This resulted in rich, detailed images. The paint would sit on the surface, rather than soaking in, (as is the case with ink), creating the vivid colours that we see in pochoir.
Gazette du Bon Ton was a small yet influential French fashion magazine from 1912 to 1925. It was founded by Lucien Vogel and it reflected the latest in fashion, lifestyle and beauty. The title of the magazine was derived from the French concept of ‘bon ton’, meaning timeless good taste and refinement. It strove to present an elitist image in order to distinguish itself from mainstream competitors of the day, such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. It was available by subscription only and it was very exclusive. Gazette du Bon Ton was published on fine paper and it was signed up with many of Paris’ top couture houses to produce luxurious pochoir prints of the designers’ latest creations. Some of the most notable artists of the time were, Umbert Brunelleschii, Leon Bakst, J. van Brock, Etienne Drian, Pierre Legrain, Victor Lheur, Antione Vallee and Georges Barbier.
This pochoir fashion plate has been signed in the top right hand corner. It is over 110 years old and, considering its age, it is in excellent condition. This beauty deserves an equally gorgeous frame to show it in its best form. It has been created on quality card grade paper, presented in a light card jacket. The plate itself measures 24.5 cms by 19.5 cms.
The vivid colours in this French fashion plate from the June 1913 Gazette du Bon Ton are stunning. Titled ‘Le Citron’ it depicts a model wearing a summer dress by Paul Poiret. She is in the process of picking lemons. This fashion plate has a warm summer air about it. The rich pastel colours and the soft flow of the garment create a sense of elegance. The artwork has been created using the pochoir process.
Pochoir is one of the oldest art printing techniques and dates back to the stone age. In French, pochoir means stencil. It is a highly refined technique of making fine limited editions of stencil prints. No printing press was used in the production of pochoir. Each print can be termed a ‘one off’ and is unique rather than uniform. It was made by the artist’s hand, using hand cut stencils, often made from sheets of copper or zinc. A separate stencil was made for each colour component. Layers of colour and texture were built up by hand using paint or gauche. This was applied to the stencil using a brush called a ‘pom pom’. The artist had total control. Skilled printers could create incredibly subtle details using graduation, stippling, spattering or by drawing additional details using a small brush on the final layer. Sometimes, as many as 100 stencils were used to create a single image. This resulted in rich, detailed images. The paint would sit on the surface, rather than soaking in, (as is the case with ink), creating the vivid colours that we see in pochoir.
Gazette du Bon Ton was a small yet influential French fashion magazine from 1912 to 1925. It was founded by Lucien Vogel and it reflected the latest in fashion, lifestyle and beauty. The title of the magazine was derived from the French concept of ‘bon ton’, meaning timeless good taste and refinement. It strove to present an elitist image in order to distinguish itself from mainstream competitors of the day, such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. It was available by subscription only and it was very exclusive. Gazette du Bon Ton was published on fine paper and it was signed up with many of Paris’ top couture houses to produce luxurious pochoir prints of the designers’ latest creations. Some of the most notable artists of the time were, Umbert Brunelleschii, Leon Bakst, J. van Brock, Etienne Drian, Pierre Legrain, Victor Lheur, Antione Vallee and Georges Barbier.
This pochoir fashion plate has been signed in the top right hand corner. It is over 110 years old and, considering its age, it is in excellent condition. This beauty deserves an equally gorgeous frame to show it in its best form. It has been created on quality card grade paper, presented in a light card jacket. The plate itself measures 24.5 cms by 19.5 cms.
I was very excited to find this pochoir plate in a complete original copy of the 1914 Gazette du Bon Ton magazine. If you would like to so, go to the Smithsonian Libraries website and search under Gazette du Bon Ton 1914.
