“THE THEATRICAL ARTIST WHO… CAPTURED THE MOOD OF THE AGE”: ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR BY GEORGE BARBIER

BARBIER, George. Original watercolor, “Les Patins à Roulettes” [Paris: circa 1905]. Original watercolor and wash on paper, measures 9-1/2 by 13 inches; matted and framed in a simple wooden frame. Entire piece measures 14-1/2 by 17-1/2 inches. $3800.

Original large watercolor and wash image of a young woman on roller skates, in a feathered hat and a long skirt, by legendary fashion designer and painter George Barbier, with his stamp in the lower right corner.

“George Barbier is one of the most valuable and most significant artists of our time, so rich in all kinds of talent and original ideas. When our age is past… it will just take a few drawings of Barbier to revive the taste and spirit of our time… When I look at Barbier’s costumes for the stage, I see the characters of those magical stories come to life before me and tempt my imagination” (Edmond Jaloux). Renowned for his fashion plates in leading contemporary magazines, including the Gazette du Bon Ton and Vogue, Barbier’s artistic style is readily identifiable by his elegant, stylized line. Here his roller skater is wearing a wool sweater, a long skirt, and a feathered hat.

Faint traces of a few pencil sketch marks. Fine condition.