The Beautiful And Elegant Georges Barbier

Fashion illustrator George Barbier is one of the fascinating figures of Art Deco. With an accomplished graphic style, the vignettes he composed provide a vision of the world of fashion that is both sophisticated and serene. Barbier was also a book illustrator. Born in Nantes in 1882, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the studio of Jean-Paul Laurens. Having become independent, he exhibited his compositions at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, from 1912: gouaches, watercolors, decoration projects, even textile designs, and presented his works at the Georges Petit gallery in 1912 (on the theme of The Human Comedy). His already established talent quickly seduced amateurs and publishers of luxury works: he was entrusted with the illustration of the volume of Nijinsky's Dances (1913), instantly famous: thanks to bold layouts, Barbier masterfully plays with arabesques in a strong black/white contrast and stages the dancer's pirouettes and contortions, with sensual virtuosity. The album dedicated to the dancer Tamara Karsavina (1914) also brings together striking illustrations, with a perverse charm. Other collections and albums followed these publications, where luxury vies with sophistication (for example Anteros, 1913). He is one of the great artists of the Art Deco period. Measures 66cm by 39cm