Choix, "Planche IV: Tissu d'Ameublement: Composé de trois largeurs de tissu, le dessin se dégradant jusqu’à l’uni"
This book, titled "Choix" (Choice), is the second of 800 copies that were published by Paul Iribe, a French illustrator, cartoonist, designer, decorator and art director, in 1930. Lamenting that French design had become "poor" and "americanized" in the years since the First World War, Iribe argues that the genius of French design lies in what he calls the "principe de l'arabesque" (principle of the arabesque). Facing the economic downturn of the 1930, Iribe is inviting his fellow French designers to choose to return to the "arabesque France" in design rather than to continue following the fashions imposed by the "cube Europe". To do so, after 31 pages with written text explaining his purpose, he presents seven plates of printed overlays over gold and silver board images depicting styles of the 1930's in home decor and fashion, as examples of industrial designs to illustrate the principle of the arabesque.
This plate, the fourth in the book, presents designs for a furniture fabric, created on the silver board with smooth surfaces over a slightly rougher background, and highlighted by matching golden shapes placed on the printed overlay. The design presents, on the left, alternating crescent moon shapes and shooting stars with three slightly scrolling tails, separated by ascending diagonal strips made up of small star motifs, with some offsetting stars lying between the strips. The background of the design contains three thin vertical lines, which are probably meant to show the three different pieces of fabric that make up the whole design, according to the title.
This plate, the fourth in the book, presents designs for a furniture fabric, created on the silver board with smooth surfaces over a slightly rougher background, and highlighted by matching golden shapes placed on the printed overlay. The design presents, on the left, alternating crescent moon shapes and shooting stars with three slightly scrolling tails, separated by ascending diagonal strips made up of small star motifs, with some offsetting stars lying between the strips. The background of the design contains three thin vertical lines, which are probably meant to show the three different pieces of fabric that make up the whole design, according to the title.
Artwork Details
- Title: Choix, "Planche IV: Tissu d'Ameublement: Composé de trois largeurs de tissu, le dessin se dégradant jusqu’à l’uni"
- Author: Written by Paul Iribe (French, Angoulême 1883–1935 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin)
- Designer: Designed by Paul Iribe (French, Angoulême 1883–1935 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin)
- Publisher: Published by Editions Iribe , Montrouge (Seine)
- Date: 1930
- Medium: plates: photomechanical
- Dimensions: Sheet (gold and silver board image): 11 13/16 × 9 5/16 in. (30 × 23.7 cm)
Sheet (printed overlay): 11 7/16 × 9 3/16 in. (29 × 23.3 cm)
Book: 12 × 9 13/16 × 13/16 in. (30.5 × 25 × 2 cm) - Classifications: Books, Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1973
- Object Number: 1973.516.1(4)
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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