Ethel Reed, The Quest of the Golden Girl from Les Maîtres de L'Affiche, 1897, Original Lithograph

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Ethel reed (1874-1912)

the quest of the golden girl

year of ideation: 1896
year of the artwork: 1898
lithograph on … Read more Ethel reed (1874-1912)

the quest of the golden girl

year of ideation: 1896
year of the artwork: 1898
lithograph on wove paper
publisher: chaix

signed in the plate, centre right

from the famous collection "les maîtres de l'affiche"
issue # 32, plate #128, july 1898

bottom left:
les maîtres de l'affiche pl. 128
imprimerie chaix
(encres lorilleux & cie.)

bottom right, blind stamp of publisher / edition

excellent condition

literature:
"the complete masters of the poster", edited by stanley appelbaum, dover, new york, 1990, p. 128
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about the collection "les maîtres de l'affiche"

les maîtres de l'affiche (the masters of the poster) is one of the most prestigious and influential art publications in history its 256 color plates have preserved for each succeeding generation a wide-ranging selection of outstanding posters from the turn of the century, when that popular art form had reached its first peak.

the earliest printed posters were chiefly typographic, with relatively few illustrated examples. But in the second half of the nineteenth century, when all types of commercial products, including printed matter, were being aesthetically upgraded, largely thanks to various arts-and-crafts movements, serious artists such as manet began to see new possibilities in the poster medium. It was especially jules chéret (1836-1932) whose unique combination of artistic, technical and entrepreneurial talents was to pave the way for a true poster industry. After chéret opened his own print shop in paris in 1866, his work continued to inspire numerous emulators in europe and america. From 1881 on, his shop operated as a branch of the large chaix firm (imprimerie chaix)

by the 1890s the streets of every great metropolis were enlivened by large, colourful posters.
this chaix publication, les maîtres de l'affiche, was issued as separate numbered sheets measuring 40 x 29 cm. Every month for 60 months, from december 1895 through november 1900, subscribers received a wrapper containing four consecutively numbered poster. On 16 occasions the monthly wrapper also contained a bonus plate, a specially created art lithograph. Jules chéret, artistic director of chaix and father of the modern poster, emerged with the lion's share of the plates, one chéret being included in each monthly issue of four, and seven of the 16 unnumbered bonus plates.

of the 97 artists represented in les maîtres de l'affiche, some were preeminent painters and printmakers at various stages of their careers: toulouse-lautrec, denis, bonnard, vallotton, puvis de chavannes. Others were famous illustrators and cartoonists of the period, still well known to art collectors and bibliophiles. Forain, caran d'ache, ibels, willette, boutet de monvel, léandre. But there were also all those whose names say "poster," the conquering pioneers of the new medium. Chéret himself, mucha, steinlen, the beggarstaffs, grasset, penfield, parrish, bradley, hardy the list could go on and on.
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about the artist

ethel reed (1874–1912) was an american graphic artist.
her life has been very turbulent.
born in newburyport, massachusetts on march 13, 1874, she was the daughter of local photographer edgar eugene reed and mary elizabeth mahoney, an immigrant from county cork, ireland. Her father died of tuberculosis in 1892, and reed and her mother consequently suffered hardship. After they moved to boston in 1890, she studied briefly at the cowles art school in 1893, and after 1894 began to receive public notice for her illustrations. Reed's youthful beauty and cleverness caught the attention of a newburyport artist laura hills, who became a mentor. During her time in boston, she achieved national fame as a poster artist while still in her early 20s. She did many series of posters and book illustrations during a span of less than two years.
in 1896, she traveled europe with her mother, and in 1897 they settled in london where reed worked as an illustrator, in particular for the yellow book, a quarterly literary periodical which was co-founded by aubrey beardsley. She had two children with different lovers.
reed was acquainted with important literary and artistic figures of her day, and was the model for day's photographs chloe and the gainsborough hat.

after moving to europe, she turned to drugs and alcohol after years of disappointment about work and life. Her circumstances in england are difficult to trace, and certain records of her final years have yet to surface. However, according to research, she died in her sleep in 1912. Her biographer has asserted that alcoholism and the use of sleeping medications contributed to her death.

in 2016, they were on exhibit in the metropolitan museum of art and museum of modern art in new york, the national museum of american history in washington, d.c., the fine arts museums of san francisco, the frederick r. Weisman art museum of the university of minnesota in minneapolis, and the nelson-atkins museum of art in kansas city.
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important:

. The listing is for the original lithograph.
. The cover of the issue by jules chéret is shown for reference.
this piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less