"La phalène des îles de la mer" - Lithographie originale sur Japon - L'Estampe Moderne

Rare original colour lithograph, executed by for L'Estampe Moderne, series number 8 published in December 1897.
One of 50 deluxe proofs printed on Japan paper with wide margins, artist's signature and date in the plate, publisher's embossed stamp representing a child's profile in lower margin, numbered stamp of the deluxe issue on verso; engraving preceded by a tissue guard inscribed with the artist's name, title and a poem; blank tissue guard.
Lithograph inspired by a poem by Charles Morice which is reproduced on the tissue guard of the print.
Magnificent French monthly publication issued between May 1897 and April 1899, L'Estampe moderne consists of original chromolithographs which, unlike other magazines such as Les Maîtres de l'Affiche and as stipulated on the tissue guards, were created specially by each artist for the magazine. 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 issue of four prints was printed in 2000 copies sold at 3.50F and 100 on Japan paper offered at 10F. Henri Piazza also planned a confidential deluxe printing: 50 copies on Japan with wide margins and 50 in black on China at the considerable price of 30F.
This print in a handsome format is superbly printed on the most prestigious of papers: Japan. Thick, silky, satiny and pearly, it contributes to making each page a work in its own right. Its quality of ink absorption and its affinity with colours also make it the ideal support for these very beautiful lithographs.
French collectors' interest in artistic posters grew at the beginning of the 1890s. Octave Uzanne, to describe this fever, invented the term "affichomanie". The poster, originally popular and posted in the streets of the capital, then became an art object and its ephemeral medium became precious and destined for 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 deluxe 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 in the Symbolist style.