Icart Louis
Louis Icart was a French artist who was born in Toulouse in 1888 and who died in Paris in 1950. He was a French painter, graphic artist and illustrator. Louis Justin Laurent Icart was the first son of Jean and Elisabeth Icart. He started drawing early. Impressed by his talent during a visit, his aunt took him to Paris in 1907, where he devoted himself to painting, drawing and making numerous etchings.
In the studio, where he initially made frivolous postcards with copies of existing images, he soon designed his own works. He was then commissioned to design title pages for the magazine La Critique Théâtrale. Fashion houses hired Icart to create fashion sketches, with which he quickly became famous. In 1913 he showed his photos at the Salon des Humoristes. Icart then learned the technique of copper engraving and worked with this process from then on. He now worked for the major French design studios and illustrated their catalogues. In 1914, he met eighteen-year-old "beautiful blonde" Fanny Volmers, an employee of the Paquin fashion house, whom he later married and who modeled many of his works. Icart took part in World War I as a fighter pilot. During this time he made numerous sketches and etchings with patriotic themes. On his return he made prints of his work, mostly with aquatint and drypoint etching. Due to high demand, he often published two versions, one for the European and one for the American market.
In 1920 he exhibited at the Paris Simonson Gallery, where he received mixed reviews. In 1922, Louis Icart traveled with Fanny to New York City for his first American exhibition, which was first displayed in the Belmaison Gallery in John Wanamaker's department store and later moved to Wanamakers in Philadelphia. He again received mixed reviews for his fifty oil paintings. In the late 1920s, Icart was highly successful both artistically and financially with his publications and his work for major fashion and design studios. The popularity of his etchings peaked in the Art Deco era. Icart depicted life in Paris and New York in the 1920s and 1930s in his own painting style. The success in 1930 enabled him to buy a beautiful house on the Montmartre hill in the north of Paris. In 1932 Icart showed a collection of paintings entitled Les Visions Blanches at the New York Metropolitan Galleries, which, however, received little attention because he did not personally supervise the exhibition.
After the German western campaign, Icart turned to more serious matters. With L'Exode, he created a series of works documenting the horrors of the occupation of France in the Second World War from 1940 onwards. During this time, Icart had to flee Paris and leave behind some of these works, which were only rediscovered in the 1970s along with some of his earlier works in the attic of a Parisian art school. Icart died in 1950 in his Paris home. Icart's painting style was based on the French masters of the 18th century, such as Jean-Antoine Watteau, François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard. His drawings were influenced by Edgar Degas and Claude Monet; his rare watercolors bore the marks of the Symbolists Odilon Redon and Gustave Moreau. Many of his early atmospheric paintings are in shades of brown, gold, and red; however, his pictures got brighter during his career. Icart's depictions of women were usually sensual, often erotic, but always humorous and full of hints or direct sexuality. In his photos, beautiful courtesans frolicked on thick pillows with facial expressions full of passion, horror, or amazement. Horses, dogs or cats were often part of his subjects. Icart made more than 500 engravings and illustrated more than 30 books. (wikipedia)
In the studio, where he initially made frivolous postcards with copies of existing images, he soon designed his own works. He was then commissioned to design title pages for the magazine La Critique Théâtrale. Fashion houses hired Icart to create fashion sketches, with which he quickly became famous. In 1913 he showed his photos at the Salon des Humoristes. Icart then learned the technique of copper engraving and worked with this process from then on. He now worked for the major French design studios and illustrated their catalogues. In 1914, he met eighteen-year-old "beautiful blonde" Fanny Volmers, an employee of the Paquin fashion house, whom he later married and who modeled many of his works. Icart took part in World War I as a fighter pilot. During this time he made numerous sketches and etchings with patriotic themes. On his return he made prints of his work, mostly with aquatint and drypoint etching. Due to high demand, he often published two versions, one for the European and one for the American market.
In 1920 he exhibited at the Paris Simonson Gallery, where he received mixed reviews. In 1922, Louis Icart traveled with Fanny to New York City for his first American exhibition, which was first displayed in the Belmaison Gallery in John Wanamaker's department store and later moved to Wanamakers in Philadelphia. He again received mixed reviews for his fifty oil paintings. In the late 1920s, Icart was highly successful both artistically and financially with his publications and his work for major fashion and design studios. The popularity of his etchings peaked in the Art Deco era. Icart depicted life in Paris and New York in the 1920s and 1930s in his own painting style. The success in 1930 enabled him to buy a beautiful house on the Montmartre hill in the north of Paris. In 1932 Icart showed a collection of paintings entitled Les Visions Blanches at the New York Metropolitan Galleries, which, however, received little attention because he did not personally supervise the exhibition.
After the German western campaign, Icart turned to more serious matters. With L'Exode, he created a series of works documenting the horrors of the occupation of France in the Second World War from 1940 onwards. During this time, Icart had to flee Paris and leave behind some of these works, which were only rediscovered in the 1970s along with some of his earlier works in the attic of a Parisian art school. Icart died in 1950 in his Paris home. Icart's painting style was based on the French masters of the 18th century, such as Jean-Antoine Watteau, François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard. His drawings were influenced by Edgar Degas and Claude Monet; his rare watercolors bore the marks of the Symbolists Odilon Redon and Gustave Moreau. Many of his early atmospheric paintings are in shades of brown, gold, and red; however, his pictures got brighter during his career. Icart's depictions of women were usually sensual, often erotic, but always humorous and full of hints or direct sexuality. In his photos, beautiful courtesans frolicked on thick pillows with facial expressions full of passion, horror, or amazement. Horses, dogs or cats were often part of his subjects. Icart made more than 500 engravings and illustrated more than 30 books. (wikipedia)