Paul Colin, French illustrator (d. 1985)
Paul Colin (27 June 1892 in Nancy, France – 18 June 1985 in Nogent-sur-Marne) was one of France's greatest poster artists.
Made famous in 1925 by his poster for the Revue Nègre, which helped to launch the career of Josephine Baker (who became his mistress), he worked for over forty years in the theatre, creating not only posters but also numerous sets and costumes.
Very Art déco at the outset, (his Le Tumulte noir is a masterpiece of the genre), his style quickly became highly personal and impossible to categorize: the synthetic accuracy of his portraits, the evocative force of his posters for grand causes so marked him as a master of visual communication that his work today remains relevant and fresh.
A student of Eugène Vallin and of Victor Prouvé, he is considered a master of the modern school of poster art. He is the creator of more than 1,400 posters and many theatrical set and costume designs. His work was also part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1948 Summer Olympics.He was the master of painter Philippe Derome and poster artists duo Lefor-Openo
An original vintage poster of singer and Broadway star Adelaide Hall by Paul Colin advertising Blackbirds at the Moulin Rouge in 1929, sold on 2 October 2003 at Swann Auction Galleries in New York for $167,500. The sale signalled a record high for an original Paul Colin poster.
1892Jun, 27
Paul Colin (artist)
Choose Another Date
Events on 1892
- 28May
Sierra Club
In San Francisco, John Muir organizes the Sierra Club. - 6Jul
Homestead Strike
Three thousand eight hundred striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving ten dead and dozens wounded. - 7Jul
Philippine Revolution
The Katipunan is established, the discovery of which by Spanish authorities initiated the Philippine Revolution. - 8Jul
Great Fire of 1892
St. John's, Newfoundland is devastated in the Great Fire of 1892. - 9Aug
Telegraphy
Thomas Edison receives a patent for a two-way telegraph.