April 09, 2009

George Barbier's costume dramas

"George Barbier is one of the most valuable and most significant artist of our time, yet so rich in all kinds of talents and minds of any origin. When our time will be fallen like so many others in the dust of dead things, when today's flame will be ashes and dust, it will just take a few watercolors, drawings of Barbier to revive the same taste and spirit of the years that we are living [...] When I look at George Barbier's costume dramas, I have the impression that the characters of those magical stories come to life before me and tempt my imagination. " Edmond Jaloux - in Preface to Vingt-cinq Costumes pour le théâtre

Costumes created for Lysistrata written by Maurice Donnay
left : Agathos - right : a warrior.


Currently, the librairie Loliée offers :
  • Barbier (George). Vingt-cinq Costumes pour le Théâtre. Préface par Edmond Jaloux. Paris, Bloch, 1927, in-4, illustrated cover. Rare book illustrated with a portrait engraved by Charles Martin and 25 plates by George Barbier, emphasized with watercolors and silver. Limited edition to 300 copies on blue-gray paper.