Kees van Dongen (after) - Ludmilla Pitoëff in 'Sainte Jeanne', 1925

Name: Kees van Dongen (after) - Ludmilla Pitoëff in 'Sainte Jeanne', 1925
Brand: The Collector
Availability: LimitedAvailability

An Art Deco poster after Van Dongen for the play 'Sainte Jeanne,' featuring a stylized blue portrait of actress Ludmilla Pitoëff. - view 1

1/3

Estimated value

$3,000 - $5,000

Rarity

Scarce(6/10)

Type

Museum Object

KEES VAN DONGEN (AFTER) - LUDMILLA PITOËFF IN 'SAINTE JEANNE', 1925: ORIGINS & SIGNIFICANCE

This is a superb example of a 1920s Parisian theatre poster, notable for its synthesis of a Fauvist figural style with bold Art Deco typography. The design, after a work by the celebrated artist Kees van Dongen, captures the intense, spiritual portrayal of Joan of Arc by the actress Ludmilla Pitoëff. The artist uses a strikingly limited palette—primarily a vibrant blue with sparse magenta accents—to render Pitoëff's face, focusing on her famously large, expressive eyes. This is not just an advertisement, but a significant work of graphic art from the height of the 'Années folles'.

GRAPHIC ECHOES

Where This Object Echoes

Fauvismc. 1905-1910

The portrait's use of non-naturalistic color and expressive, fluid lines is a direct echo of the Fauvist movement, of which Van Dongen was a key member.

German Expressionismc. 1910-1925

The intense psychological focus and stark, emotive depiction of the face shares sensibilities with German Expressionist portraiture of the same era, such as the work of the Brücke group.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

•The cultural ritual of Parisian theatre-going during the 'Années folles' (Roaring Twenties), where premiere performances were major social and artistic events.

Meaning Through Time

Medieval

Joan of Arc as a religious martyr and military leader, condemned for heresy.

19th Century

Re-canonized and embraced as a potent symbol of French nationalism and Catholic piety.

1920s (Shaw's play)

Reinterpreted as a modern figure: a rational mystic, a proto-Protestant, and a proto-feminist challenging established feudal and religious authority.

PRINT LINEAGE

This poster commemorates the 100th performance of George Bernard Shaw's "Sainte Jeanne" (Saint Joan) by the influential Compagnie Pitoëff at the Théâtre des Arts in 1925. Ludmilla Pitoëff's interpretation of the role was a landmark event in French theatre, lauded for its modernity and psychological depth. Kees van Dongen, a leading figure of the Fauvist movement, was by this time one of Paris's most famous and fashionable portraitists. The poster captures the nexus of avant-garde theatre, modern art, and graphic design that defined the cultural dynamism of 1920s Paris.

PRESS SECRETS

Ludmilla Pitoëff's performance as Joan of Arc was so acclaimed that George Bernard Shaw himself considered it one of the very finest interpretations of his play.

The printer, H. Chachoin of Paris, was a highly-regarded specialist in producing artist's posters during this period, working with many of the great modern masters a generation after the poster boom of the 1890s.

HOW SCARCE IS IT?

Scarce80-90%

CommonLegendary

Genuinely harder to find. Perhaps only dozens come to market annually. Collectors actively watch for these pieces.

Typical Characteristics

Dozens per year at market
Documented provenance valued
Active collector pursuit

Confidence Factors

This is a well-documented and known poster design.
The visible printer's mark ('H. CHACHOIN Imp. Paris. 1925') is correct for the period and style.
The primary risk for such an item is a later, high-quality reproduction, but visual indicators point towards an original period printing.

How does authenticity detection work?

PRINT SPECIALIST'S TAKE

Museum-Trained Art Historian

Connoisseur

Confidence is high due to the clear presence of the printer's name and date (H. Chachoin, 1925), which aligns perfectly with the artist, subject matter, and Art Deco style. The only minor reservation is the inability to examine the object outside its frame.

KEY EVIDENCE

1The explicit printer's mark 'H. CHACHOIN Imp. Paris. 1925' which precisely dates and locates the production.
2The attribution 'D'après VAN DONGEN' correctly identifies the design's source from a major Fauvist artist.
3The subject matter relates to the historically significant 1925 Paris premiere production of Shaw's 'Sainte Jeanne' starring Ludmilla Pitoëff.
4The visual style, combining Fauvist portraiture and Art Deco typography, is entirely consistent with the artistic milieu of mid-1920s Paris.

UNCERTAINTIES

•The assessment is limited by the inability to inspect the paper stock and reverse side out of the frame.
•Minor spotting/foxing is visible, which could potentially be more extensive than it appears through the glass.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

→Examination by a professional paper conservator, including careful de-framing to assess the full sheet.
→Inspection of the paper's edges and reverse for any collectors' marks, watermarks, or condition issues.
→Confirmation of dimensions against catalogue raisonné data for this specific poster (typically around 159 x 120 cm).

CONDITION & GRADE

Condition

Viewed through glazing, the sheet appears to be in very good condition with strong, seemingly unfaded color. There are a few scattered, minor spots of what appears to be foxing, consistent with its age, but no apparent major folds, tears, or repairs. An out-of-frame examination would be necessary for a definitive assessment.

Surface

The image is a stone lithograph on wove paper, which appears to have a warm, cream-colored ground. The lithographic ink sits on the surface with a characteristic matte finish, the blue displaying the subtle textural quality of a crayon-drawn stone. The colors remain remarkably vibrant.

Weight & feel

As a large-format work on paper, its perceived heft would come almost entirely from the substantial gilt frame and glazing rather than the object itself.