Paul Colin (artist)
| Paul Colin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
27 June 1892 Nancy, France |
| Died |
18 June 1985 (aged 92) Nogent-sur-Marne |
Paul Colin (27 June 1892 in Nancy, France - 18 June 1985 in Nogent-sur-Marne) was one of France’s greatest poster artists.
Made famous in 1925 by his poster for the Revue Nègre, which helped to launch the career of Josephine Baker (who became his mistress), he worked for over forty years in the theatre, creating not only posters but also numerous sets and costumes.
Very Art déco at the outset, (his Le Tumulte noir is a masterpiece of the genre), his style quickly became highly personal and impossible to categorize: the synthetic accuracy of his portraits, the evocative force of his posters for grand causes so marked him as a master of visual communication that his work today remains relevant and fresh. A student of Eugène Vallin and of Victor Prouvé, he is considered a master of the modern school of poster art. He is the author of over 1400 posters and many theatrical set and costume designs.
He was the master of painter Philippe Derome and poster artists duo Lefor-Openo
References
- Le Tumulte Noir: a portfolio by Paul Colin, National Portrait Gallery exhibition
- Paul Colin at the Museum of Modern Art, New York
- Paul Colin at imdb.com
Petrine Archer-Straw, Negrophilia: Avant-Garde Paris and Black Culture in the 1920s (2000)