L
put only real objects in their pictures and to draw
all the beautiful and artistic elements out of these
objects, however simple these may be.
E. de Coulon, a young French*Swiss poster ar*
tist living in Paris, is particularly ardent in follow*
ing these principles.
Since a poster must have text, he believes that
this text, short as it may be, must constitute the
chief content and that it is a good medium for
conveying the graphic idea that is to be expressed,
decorated with certain graphic aids of one kind
or another.
Coulon himself is willing to allow that letters
in themselves often have a most decorative effect,
since their geometrical simplicity permits of most
original solutions and is therefore extremely ef*
fective as a means of advertisement.
Let it be remarked: Coulon is by no means a
mere clever and adept designer of text, nor an
ornamental draughtsman. He understands how to
draw a figure and place it to advantage as well as
any of his colleagues, and he displays especial
talent in designing animals. Let us only remember
the beautiful head of a dog which he drew for the
livestock show "Life in the Country", for this
affords a lively witness of his perfect command of
"living material."
But this example and many similar ones are
only exceptions. Most of the work created in this
manners hows plainly enough that Coulon always
begins by writing the text on the white paper, that
text which he elevates to the principal content of
his poster, to an infinitely rich and various end in
itself.
It must not be forgotten that Coulon has mainly
created a particular kind of poster, in which the
text is of especial importance. He has created a
large number of posters intended to advertise
special sales in the department stores or to make
propaganda for daily newspapers and magazines.
It is then nearly always a case of calling attention
to some striking phrase, and this is certainly one
of the reasons which led him to systematize his
work.
Coulon has a double right to be dubbed an
artist, for he is able to depict the most trifling
forms and objects in a graphic form that is all his
own, and understands how to employ this form
so well that the two qualities which usually ex*
elude one another are united and continue to flour*
ish in him that is to say: originality and corn-
tact with the public. t ranslated by E. T Scheffauer.
24
PLAKAT FOR
SPIELZEUG
POSTER FOR
TOY
E. D E C O U L O N
