Art Deco: The Golden Age of Graphic Art & Illustration

This beautifully illustrated reference book is a celebration of Art Deco expression through graphic art and illustration. With emphasis placed on these remarkable areas, the reader can gain great insight into many of the artists and innovators that helped popularize Art Deco style. Organized into three sections, Art Deco: The Golden Age of Graphic Art and Illustration first explores the significant avenues of the movement as a whole, before turning its attention to the worlds of fashion and advertising.

The intrinsic role of fashion in the Art Deco period is examined through a series of works by fashion illustrators and costume designers alike, including works by Erté and Georges Barbier. The shifting attitudes towards fashion are mirrored not only in commercial illustration, but also in portraiture, as socialite women began to pose showing more skin in daringly sleek lines.

Moving on to the world of advertising, the final chapter discusses how notable poster designers such as Cassandre and Paul Colin used their talents to harness consumer spending power, directing it towards overseas travel, cabaret performances and other modern luxuries.

While the main focus for this intriguing book is centered on graphic art and illustration, numerous examples of other forms of Art Deco are also featured. Nestled amongst the posters and paintings, sculpture, objets d’art and jewelry assert their similarity, whether through line, form or theme. These echoes serve to show the creative fertility of the period as styles and ideas traversed artistic media.

Art Deco: The Golden Age of Graphic Art and Illustration is a veritable feast for the eyes and an ideal read for those with an interest in Art Deco style.