NEW YORK, NY.- Swanns annual summer poster auction is set for Thursday, July 30. The sale presents a carefully curated and exceptional selection of works, including both scarce and iconic war posters, beach and international travel, Art Nouveau and advertising posters, and showcases an impressive breadth and quality of material that is sure to appeal to collectors, enthusiasts, and seasoned connoisseurs alike.
Art Nouveau leads the auction with a run of works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Highlights include, Confetti, 1894, one of five of Lautrecs posters featured in the first exhibition at the Royal Aquarium in London, organized by the British brothers who owned the confetti company ($30,000-40,000); LAube Revue Illustrée, 1896, printed for the then-new left-wing periodical LAube (The Dawn) ($10,000-15,000); Troupe de Mlle Églantine, 1896, created at the request of his friend Jane Avril and her co-star Églantine for their appearance at the Palace Theatre in London ($8,000-12,000); and La Revue Blanche, 1895, designed to promote the literary magazine featuring Misia Natanson as the muse ($6,000-9,000). Further Art Nouveau high spots include Theophile-Alexandre Steinlens Chat Noir, 1896 ($5,000-7,500), Louis Charbonniers Scala / La Danse des Jambes en lAir, circa 1897 ($4,000-6,000), Alphonse Muchas The Times of Day, a set of four decorative panels, 1899 ($20,000-30,000), and Job, 1898 ($5,000-7,500), as well as works by Jules Cheret and more.
Propaganda posters from both World Wars are among the top highlights from the auction. Notable lots include James Montgomery Flaggs I Want You for U.S. Army, 1917 ($5,000-7,500), and Speed Up America, 1943 ($3,000-4,000); Betsy Graves Reyneaus Keep Us Flying! / Buy War Bonds, 1943 ($4,000-6,000); and Santos Balmori Picazos El Saber Corromperia a Mis Juventudes, 1943, a Mexican World War II anti-Nazi poster that shows a barbaric Nazi soldier trampling on rights, morality and civilization ($3,000-4,000).
Food and beverage advertisements are highlighted by a selection of Leonetto Cappiello works including Etab.ts André Loison à Orlèans, 1911 ($2,000-3,000), Cigarettes Matossian, 1921 ($4,000-6,000), Veuve Amiot / Cremant du Roi, 1922 ($1,500-2,000), Cognac Monnet, 1927 ($3,000-4,000), and Barbier Dauphin / Conserves, 1948 ($2,500-3,500).
The sale will also feature a selection of travel posters featuring iconic ocean liners, trains, and airlines, as well as summer resorts, art exhibitions and performances, and sports posters.