Marcel Vertès, Original Art Deco Theatre Costume Illustration Katinka Gouache Painting, Drawing

Description

This is an original Theater costume illustration painting and drawing on paper. Russian bearded Cossack man. stamped Atelier Vertes and … more This is an original Theater costume illustration painting and drawing on paper. Russian bearded Cossack man. stamped Atelier Vertes and pencil signed. it is from Katinka, an operetta in three acts composed by Rudolf Friml to a libretto by Otto Harbach. It was first performed at the Park Theatre in Morristown, New Jersey, on December 2, 1915, with May Naudain in the title role and subsequently received its Broadway Show Musical premiere on December 23, 1915 at the 44th Street Theatre.

Provenance: Ms. Dora Vertes.

MARCEL VERTES FRENCH HUNGARIAN 1895 (Ujpest, Hungary)-1961 (Paris, France) Art Deco artist. Vertes was born in Hungary and died in Paris, but spent a lot of time in New York as well. He was noted as a painter, illustrator, designer and scenic mural painter. His whimsical images graced the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Continuing in the footsteps of Boutet, Forain, Erte, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. Concentrating upon scenes of Paris street life, portrayals of women and depictions of circus and cabaret acts, Vertes left a legacy of original lithographs and drawings that superbly capture the spirit of 1920's Paris.
Like many other artists, the Second World War forced Vertes to move to the United States. Vertes's art is forever associated with eroticism and the Erotic. Marcel Vertes was a consultant to the Producers and set Designers of the 1952 Award Winning film Moulin Rouge, about the life and times of artist Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901). In real life, Marcel earned his tuition money for his European education by making forgeries of Lautrec's works! Marcel's hand is actually shown in the movie, Moulin Rouge as the actor drawing for the late Toulouse Lautrec, and his images were accordingly used in the film and given appropriate credit in the trailer to the film! Marcel studied in Paris and followed many of the footsteps of the great French Impressionists. Following his time at the Academy, Vertes lived and worked in the Latin Quarter, following French Impressionists Toulouse-Lautrec, Boutet and Forain, Jean Cocteau and depicting scenes of Paris street life in the 1920's.

A painter, illustrator and designer, Vertes was a member of the American Art League, was lauded for his murals in the Hotel Carlyle and, in 1952, and won the British Academy Film award for best costume design for Moulin Rouge. An illustration contributor for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, fashion icons Jean Patou, Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel are counted amongst Vertes’ contemporaries. Vertes’ work can be found in collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and at museums in Luxembourg and Paris.
Marcel Vertes shows up in the Production credits as Color Production Designer, and Costume Designer for the film, with Schiaparelli (the same of Paris, and Italy). They both jointly won the British Academy Film award in 1952 for Best Costume Design for this picture less