Adolphe Willette, Reverence and advertising, lithograph from Les Maîtres de l'Affiche
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
20th century
This 20th-century lithograph on paper by French artist Adolphe Willette (1857–1926) is titled 'Reverence and advertising'. The artwork, which forms part of the 'Les Maîtres de l'Affiche' series, depicts a narrative scene featuring a woman and her dog kneeling in a rural landscape, looking up in a pose of reverence toward an advertising poster displayed on a post.
The poster within the image is styled after Alphonse Mucha, illustrating a woman and creating a symbolic link between fine art, popular advertising, and human worship. The print features a blind publisher's stamp (Lugt no. 1777c) and is inscribed in the printing plate with the artist's name, 'A. Willette', and the series details: 'Les Maîtres de l'Affiche / Imprimerie Chaix / (Encres Lorilleux & Cie.)'. The overall paper size is 40.2 cm by 29.8 cm, with the central depiction measuring 33.4 cm by 23.4 cm.
It represents a significant intersection of Art Nouveau aesthetics and social caricature from early 20th-century France.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Medium
- Lithography on paper
- Paper size
- 40,2 cm x 29,8 cm
- Depiction size
- 33,4 cm x 23,4 cm
Technical characteristics
- Markings
- Blind stamp, publisher's stamp (Lugt no. 1777c)
- Printing
- Lithography
Design
- Subject
- Woman and dog in a rural setting kneeling before a Mucha-style poster
- Inscriptions
- Signed A. Willette lower left; Les Maîtres de l'Affiche, Imprimerie Chaix, Encres Lorilleux & Cie. lower left
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- Adolphe Willette
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.