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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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Sorry, It's Sold

Les Ongles

Artist:Suzanne Meunier
Date:1915 - 1920
Medium:Watercolor on illustration board
Dimensions:Sight size 10 1/4" by 14 1/2" Framed 18 3/4" by 23 1/4"
Condition:Excellent
Original Use:Illustration for French Postcard
Detail
Les Ongles
The artist's signature upper left
The artist’s signature, upper left
Vintage French postcard of illustration (included in sale)
Vintage French postcard of illustration (included in sale)
Verso of postcard with title and publication specifics
Verso of postcard with title and publication specifics

This very well rendered and rare surviving watercolor illustration painting by the French boudoir artist Suzanne Meunier dates to around 1920. Titled Les Ongles (The Nails), the image features a flirtatious flapper being given a pedicure from a winged cupid. The implication of this whimsical and defining early Art Deco scene seems to be that even the god of love himself is unable to resist the allure of the modern girl. A published vintage French postcard of the painting is included in the sale. Painting is very handsomely silk matted and framed under glass in a wide profile antique wood gesso period frame.

Framed and silk matted under glass
Framed and silk matted under glass
Frame corner profile
Frame corner profile
Detail
Detail
Detail
Detail
View of Watercolor painting prior to framing
View of watercolor painting prior to framing
Verso view of illustration board before framing
Verso view of illustration board before framing

Suzanne Meunier was a French female artist known for her etchings and paintings in the Boudoir style. Her graphic art and illustrations appeared in many fashionable French magazine titles, including Le Sourire, La Vie Parisienne, Fantasio and “Eros”. The popularity of her work with Eros, lead to stand alone art folio prints of her works to be published during the 1920s. Her original paintings today are very scarce.

Les Ongles

Artist: Suzanne Meunier

Filed Under: Pin-Up & Glamour Art, Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1920s, art deco, boudoir, Cupid, Edwardian, flapper, french, Golden Age, paris, postcard, Suzanne Meunier, Watercolor
Added to Gallery: January 4, 2018

 

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