L'Electricine

Artist: Lucien Lefevre French (1850-1902)

Title: L'Electricine

Plate: PL. 55

Description: Condition A.
Original lithograph from "Les Maitres de L'Affiche" series. 
Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris, 1897. 
Presented in 16 x 20 in. acid free, archival museum mat, with framing labels. Ready to frame. Shipped boxed flat. 
Certificate of Authenticity.

Maitre Sheet Size: Approx 11 3/8 in x 15 3/4 in 29 cm x 40 cm

Price: $250.00

In this poster for the Electricine luxury lighting company, Lefeve creates a design worthy of his mentor Jules Cheret, whom Lefeve was a pupil of when he worked at the Chaix printing house. Reminiscent of Cheret's famous Saxoleine series (see PL.13 and PL.145) in it's composition, Lefeve takes a more subtle approach, emphasizing the product (the lamp) itself and it's glowing light against an elegant model.

 

"Although Lefevre's technique was very close to that of his teacher Cheret, his style was quite different . . . Whereas Cheret displayed an infectious vitality which flowed right to his fingertips, the younger man was much more lyrical, much softer. Carefully and circumspectly the young lady with the flattering hairstyle sets down a lamp, which is lit by the brand of paraffin she is advertising, Electricine. With a dreamy look she touches the lampshade with her left hand, evoking an atmosphere of respectable, well-groomed domesticity" (Rennert, PAI-XXXVI, 373)


“The life of Lucien Lefèvre is, to this day, very little known. He first studied industrial design and, perhaps, the art of portraiture, before exhibiting at the Salon des Indépendants in 1872 and 1873. Having become a pupil of Jules Chéret, and initially influenced by him, he began to practice the art of lithography at Chaix, then acquired a certain reputation as a poster artist from 1890. He appeared in three issues of the review Les Maîtres de l'Affiche (pl. 11, 55, 90). He remained active until 1902 and then we lost track of him.” (peoplepill.com)