Paul Iribe's lithographic prints for the wine importer Nicolas, done at the height of the Art Deco period, are some of the finest, purest and most perfect Art Deco prints ever produced. Using only black and white, he managed to be fashionable, ironic, and cheeky - showing women at their most indulgent, men at their least secure, and Nectar (a mascot with bug eyes who always seems to be in the right place at the right time) at his goofiest. Issued in a small run of 500 in 1930, they are becoming increasingly rare and hard to find.
About the Artist: Born in Angouleme, France in 1883, Iribe received his education in Paris's École des Beaux-Arts and the College Rollin where his friends included the then-unknown illustrators George Barbier, Georges Lepape, George Martin, and Pierre Brissaud. He was a French illustrator and designer in the decorative arts, yet his style favored the liberal display of fluid forms which is more in line with Art Nouveau design elements than pure Art Deco.
