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241

Lot 241: Josephine Baker Portrait

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:6,000.00 - 8,000.00 USD
Lot 241: Josephine Baker Portrait
<b>ORSI (1889–1947)</b> <p> <b>241.Josephine Baker.</b>
21 x 26 1/4 in./53.3 x 66.6 cm
Pastel and pencil drawing on paper. Framed.
Ref: PAI-XXXIII, 484
This original, hand-signed portrait of the vivacious goddess is hardly what one would expect, either from an Orsi artistic perspective or a Baker representational view. It’s hard to imagine that, had this artwork come to poster fruition, it would have made it to the page in this manner. Clearly, the designer was going for an effect here, straying from standard portraiture in order to present a more multifaceted vision of the artiste. Though it could have been based on any number of famous photographs from the height of Josephine’s career, Orsi combines elements of Cubism and Expressionism–not in an altogether flattering manner–to mine the depths of her character, while eschewing the standard representationalism of celebrity promotion. An obscure offering to be sure, but one whose attempt to go beyond caricature into the oft-glossed over realm of character is as ambitious as it is admirable. The posterist known only as Orsi produced hundreds of posters, many of them for the theater, and all with strong, eye-catching designs. “In the history of this art, his name must occupy an important place because of the innovative character of his esthetic . . . and the importance of his work” (Benezit).
<b>Est: $6,000-$8,000.</b>
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