Paul Colin

Paul Colin (27 June 1892 – 18 June 1985) born in Nancy, France, died in Nogent-sur-Marne. Colin was a prolific master illustrator of Decorative Arts posters. He was the brother of Alexandre-Marie Colin.Paul Colin was a professional artist, scenographer, graphic designer and theatre painter. He specialised in theatre sets, book design and costume design. During his lifetime he created over 1900 posters and worked in theatre for more than 40 years. He was praised for the perfect combination of organic and graphic themes with geometric forms. He was influenced by Surrealism and Cubism, typically using very exaggerated shapes, striking colours and very stylised art forms in his work. He used a large palette of colours to emphasise the energy and meaning conveyed by his subjects, and his art is strongly in the style of the Art Deco movement. Many of his most famous illustrations were created for Jazz Age music and theatre. His designs incorporate jazz elements, bold and striking colors, Cubist and Surrealist. Highly stylized or caricaturized humanoids are strangely juxtaposed with geometrically overlapping objects such as Cubist collages. His own background in painting and his love of theatre helped him to become one of the most important French poster artists of the 1920s and 1930s.

Colin designed posters for artists and theatres such as Folies Bergères, the Moulin Rouge and the Champs Elysées Theatre. In addition, he produces posters for various festivals, exhibitions, products and companies. For example, he has designed posters for French films such as Le Voyage Imaginaries and produced stage and costume designs for theatres. He has been teaching his skills for over 40 years at the "Ecole Paul Colin" graphic arts school in Paris, where many graphic artists and designers have benefited.

He was the master of painter Philippe Derome and poster artists duo Lefor-Openo

An original vintage poster of singer and Broadway star Adelaide Hall by Paul Colin advertising Blackbirds at the Moulin Rouge in 1929, sold on 2 October 2003 at Swann Auction Galleries in New York for $167,500. The sale signalled a record high for an original Paul Colin poster. Paul Colin was a maestro of the Art Deco poster. He was one of the most important graphic artists of his time, creating more than 1,900 posters, and was a master of designing books, theatre sets and costumes. He apprenticed at a printing house in Nancy at the age of 15 and through his teenage years, then he entered L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1913. The L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts was founded in Paris by a minister of Louis XIV, Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1671, as a school of fine arts. It provides tuition in painting, sculpture and engraving for students selected through competitive examinations. He achieved great academic success at school. Later, he first entered the art world with the help of Eugene Vallin, a renowned furniture designer and architect, and Victor Prouvé, a sculptor, painter and engraver. He is the teacher of Bourgeois Louise, an installation artist. And he is the brother of Alexandre-Marie Colin

Throughout the years, Colin adjusted the Art Deco style to his own distinctive style, evolving with his understanding of symbolism and abstraction. He excelled in the deceptively simple way in which he portrayed his work. Over his career, he designed dozens of posters for performers in various media, reflecting the history of Parisian show business and the public life he led throughout his life.His posters are highly stylised, concentrating on themes in the performing arts, dance, studio art and theatre. His bold imagery, strong clean lines and brilliant colours are a hallmark of his work and showcase his superb visual communication skills.Among these, his posters Revue Negre and Tumult Noir are internationally recognised for their vibrant colours and strong lines that bring out the extraordinary talent of these musicians and dancers.