"La châtelaine" - Lithographie originale sur Japon - L'Estampe Moderne

Rare original color lithograph, executed by Charles Doudelet for L'Estampe Moderne, series number 6 published in October 1897.
One of 50 deluxe proofs printed on Japan paper with wide margins, artist's signature in the plate, publisher's blind stamp representing a child's profile in lower margin, numbered stamp of the deluxe printing on verso; engraving preceded by a tissue guard bearing the artist's name, title and presentation text; and another blank tissue guard.
Magnificent French monthly publication issued between May 1897 and April 1899, L'Estampe moderne consists of original chromolithographs which, unlike other journals such as Les Maîtres de l'Affiche and as stipulated on the tissue guards, were created specially by each artist for the journal. Thus 100 prints appeared in total, covering the major artistic movements of the late 19th century: Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Pre-Raphaelites, Orientalists and Belle Epoque. Each delivery of four prints was issued in 2000 copies sold for 3.50F and 100 on Japan paper offered at 10F. Henri Piazza also planned a confidential deluxe printing: 50 copies on Japan paper with wide margins and 50 in black on China paper at the considerable price of 30F.
This handsomely formatted print is superbly printed in colors on the most prestigious of papers: Japan paper. Thick, silky, satiny and pearlescent, it contributes to making each page a work in its own right. Its ink absorption quality and affinity with colors also make it the ideal support for these very beautiful lithographs.
French collectors' interest in artistic posters grew in the early 1890s. Octave Uzanne, to qualify this fever, invented the term "affichomanie". The poster, originally popular and displayed in the streets of the capital, then became an art object and its ephemeral medium became precious and devoted to preservation.
Piazza decided to remove the poster from its advertising vocation and elevate it to the rank of a complete work of art on the same level as the luxury illustrated book. He thus composed a prestigious collection of entirely original works by the most prominent European artists of the moment: Georges de Feure, Eugène Grasset, Henri Detouche, Emile Berchmans, Louis Rhead, Gaston de Latenay, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, Gustave-Max Stevens, Charles Doudelet, Hans Christiansen, Henri Fantin-Latour, Steinlen, Ibels, Engels, Willette, Henri Meunier, Evenepoël, Bellery-Desfontaines, Charles Léandre, etc.
Handsome copy.