Éléphants à Hué, c. 1937
Original lithograph on Imperial Japanese paper, signed, embossed stamp lower right, numbered 18/30 lower left. Edition of 30. 45 x 82 cm (illustration) / 51 x 88 cm (sight size) / 66 x 96 cm (paper size))
51 x 88 cm
History:
The painting that served as a model for this lithograph is one of Jouve's two large canvases that adorned the Salon des Correspondances of the Normandie ship. The largest and fastest cruise ship of its time and a masterpiece of the Decorative Arts, the Normandie was put into service in 1935 by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, which had enlisted several decorators and assemblers whose work is emblematic of the Art Deco period.
This lithograph of the Elephants in Hue was initially meant to be printed in sixty copies, however, Jouve decided to limit the print run to 30 copies, crossing out in the justification the mention of the print run which was intended to replace it with the mention of the final print run in thirty copies.
Bibliography:
Félix Marcilhac, Paul Jouve peintre sculpteur animalier, Les éditions de l’Amateur, 2005, a copy is illustrated p. 241 and in the etchings' inventory p. 374.
Christian Eludut, Le monde animal dans l'art décoratif des années 30, Éditions BGO, Paris, 2007, a copy is illustrated p. 34.
Collections:
La Piscine, Musée d’art et d’industrie André Diligent, Roubaix, a copy (n°28/30) is in the museum's permanent collection.