Lot 109: Poster: JANE ATCHÉ (1872-1937) JOB. 1889. 57 x 42 inches. Cas

JANE ATCHÉ (1872-1937) JOB. 1889.
57 x 42 inches. Cassan Fils, Paris.
Condition B+: repaired tears, creases, overpainting and restoration in image.
Atché was born in Toulouse. While most artists of the day eventually moved to Paris in an attempt to achieve national, or even international recognition, she chose to remain in this Southern French city. She might have languished in obscurity if she hadn't been discovered by Joseph Bardouin, the owner of Job rolling paper. He was a tireless scout for new talents to help promote his brand (employing Cheret, Pal and Mucha), and might well have met her at the Cassan Fils printing plant in Toulouse. For this image, Atché designs a supremely elegant and stylistic vision of a sophisticated woman languidly enjoying a cigarette. The image is bereft of exaggerated Art Nouveau details, with the exception of the smoke. (In a smaller version, that exists without text, the smoke appears as a halo around the woman's head, or perhaps a noose . . . ). Atché's posters all reflect this same devotion to Mucha's style and despite some research which suggests they were also personally acquainted, her work carries its own signature look. In addition to its artistic qualities, this image also has social significance, in that it was one of the few images produced at the turn-of-the-century that depicted a positive image of women smoking, representing an important advancement in modern women's rights. DFP II 24, Reims 208, Abdy p. 149, Wine Spectator 101, Maitres 1900 p. 26 (var).