antique prints, maps and watercolors

Sem (Coco Chanel) Le Grande Mode a l'Envers, Paris 1919. $595.00

click for detailed image semchanelsundayhatvlg.jpg

 

“Mam’selle Coco, j’voudrais un beau chapeau pour le dimanche”

Georges Goursat (born Perigueux 1863 – died Paris 1934) was a French caricaturist who signed his work “Sem.” A charming and talented man, Goursat was working in Paris at the turn of the twentieth century finding inspiration in his observations of French high society at Maxim’s, at the Opera, and at the races. Goursat supported himself selling illustrations both humorous and serious to the French major periodicals of the day. He put together albums of caricatures depicting high society in Monte Carlo, Deauville, the Cote d’Azur, and Paris. He wrote articles and created posters illustrating the tourist towns of Deauville, Cannes and Monte Carlo. His art is particularly associated with the Belle Epoque and his unique style of drawing brought him great success and fame. The printing method Goursat utilized is called pochoir. It was a technique of creating prints by applying color and line with cutout stencils. Some pochoir prints utilized thirty stencils for a single image. A wonderful, but not too flattering depiction of Coco Chanel early in her career as a milliner.

Pochoir print measuring 18 ¼ x 13 inches sheet, small light stain upper right image, otherwise very good condition.