HENRI-GABRIEL IBELS French, 1867- 1936 Showmen (Les Lutteurs), from Les Maitres de l'Affiche, 1898 Original Color Lithograph Color lithograph created in 1898 as a special supplement plate for the celebrated Belle Epoque publication "Les Maîtres de l'Affiche" ("Masters of the Poster"). The print, sometimes titled "Les Lutteurs" (The Wrestlers) or "Showmen," depicts a backstage scene of burly strongmen or wrestlers standing casually on a stage platform, waiting to perform, dressed in matching striped tights and sashes, one wearing a red cap. Unframed. plate: 13 x 9 inches; sheet: 15.5 x 11.5 inches $120-160
ARTIST PROFILE: Henri-Gabriel Ibels (1867 - 1936) was a French illustrator, printmaker, and painter born in Paris. He studied at the Academie Julian, where he became a founding member of Les Nabis in 1889 alongside Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard. Passionate about theater and popular entertainment, Ibels drew much of his subject matter from Parisian life and became known for his bold, precise lithographic line work. He designed posters and sets for the Theatre Libre, contributed original plates to the celebrated series Les Maîtres de l'Affiche, and worked closely with his friend Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Ibels was also an outspoken political artist, producing notable imagery during the Dreyfus Affair. He remains best known for his vivid, narrative depictions of Belle Epoque entertainment and his contributions to the golden age of French color lithography.
