Léo Fontan (1884 - 1965) Ginger Coquette

French erotic watercolor by the renowned painter, decorator, illustrator, and poster artist Leo Fontan (1884 Donchery/Ardennes - 1965 Annecy).
A student of Luc Olivier Merson, Léon Bonnat, and Fernand Cormon, he settled in Paris after his studies. He worked in the studio of Martine de Poiret and formed a friendship with Jean Gabriel Domergue. He regularly exhibited at the Salon de la SAfr (member) and the Salon des Humoristes.
Awards: 1925 Gold Medal, Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; 1936 Bonnat's Student Prize; 1944 Silver Medal; Knight of the Legion of Honor. - F. arranged series of postcards (Charme, 1900-14; L'Opiomane, circa 1910) and book covers (Maurice Leblanc, Bouchon de cristal et autres aventures d'Arsène Lupin, 1912-14). Moreover, he illustrated many books (J. Dubois, La Baieonnette, 1916; a work of the same name, Les Orties de blanches, by Paul Loin, 1934) and Periodika (Luxe de Paris, 1913; La vie parisienne, 1918-21) as well as Lubin's travel guides (1929).
He created 62 illustrations with gallant images for the monthly magazine Art Eros in 1920-28 (our watercolor is from this series), posters, for example. for the Folies Bergère revue theater (Un coup de fleuret, 1930), also leaflets (for the Paris Hôtel Scribe, 1935) and works for the alpine association La Montagne (1932). As a decorative painter, F. received large commissions for the interior design of the ocean liners Théophile Gau Animal, Athos III, and Ile de France (dining room and grand salon). He also painted genre scenes, interiors, and landscapes (watercolors, pastels). Since 1923, his works have frequently appeared in auctions, notably with the watercolors La Réussite and Le Tango (both June 15/16, 1923, Paris, Hôtel Drouot) as well as the oil painting Venise (October 16, 1992, Paris).

Literature: Vollmer, 2, 1955; Edouard-Joseph II, 1931; DBF XIV, 1979; Osterwalder, 1890-1945, 1992; Bénézit V, 1999. – IFF, After 1800 VIII, 1954; R. Gaudriault, La gravure de mode féminine en France, P. 1983; L'officiel internat. des cartes postales de coll. (P.) 1991.
Inscription: signed lower right.
Technique: watercolor and pencil on paper. Original period frame.
Dimensions: image 21 x 45 cm, unbound and framed 38.5 x 65 cm.
Condition: very good