La Toilette (also known as Le Rimmel or L’elegante a sa Toilette)
Pierre Gatier (1878-1948), La Toilette (also known as Le Rimmel or L’elegante a sa Toilette), 1911, etching and aquatint, signed and inscribed “Recherche de couleurs”. [also signed and dated in the plate]. Reference: Felix Gatier 81, from the series L’Elegantes de Montmarte, 1911″ (4 plates), as edited by George Petit, and published in a suite of 100. In very good condition, on a heavy cream wove paper, the full sheet with deckle edges, 8 5/8 x 12 1/2, the sheet 13 7/8 x 19 5/8 inches.
A fine fresh impression of this colorful Fin de Siecle aquatint, printed in three colors.
In Le Rimmel (eyeliner) Gatier captures the spirit of the Belle Epoque, and demonstrates his facility with aquatint, and the method of using three color plates which apparently fascinated him -he wrote a treatise on the method, which is re-printed in the recently published catalogue raisonne of his prints.
Le Rimmel is the second plate of a series of four, showing a women of Montmarte waking, dressing (Le Rimmel), shopping, and then going out on the town. This is – in our view – the most interesting depiction in the series.
This will be sold together with the preparatory drawing (see listing above); $3200 the pair.