Georges Barbier
(1882-1932)
Georges Barbier French illustrator and designer was born in Nantes, France. At the age of twenty-six he enrolled at the Academie des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he attended from 1908 to 1910. He worked as an illustrator for the Gazette Du Bon Ton, Le Journal Des Dames and des Modes, Feuillets D'Art, Femina Comoedia Illustree; with illustrators such as Iribe, Marty, Martin, Boutet de Movel, Brissaud, Brunelleschi, and Lepape. He was "the" fashion illustrator for the leading fashion designers of his time like Poiret, Lanvin, Paquin and Vionnet. From 1911 to 1925 he worked with the atelier Frederick Worth. His albums of sketches for the Nijinski ballets are very famous. He created sets and costumes for the theater and cinema, including Don Juan by Edmond Rostand, Monsieur Beaucaire, a film with Rudolf Valentino, and, together with Erte, for the Folies-Bergere.
Barbier gathered inspiration from both the 18th-century art and Art Nouveau, which can be seen in the twists and flowing shapes of his graceful, fashionable women, with dark-lidded and slightly exotic eyes. His drawings depict them wearing headdresses covered with faux diamonds and seductive silver lame gowns, which characterized his idea of evening wear. Barbier’s women embodied the notions of female beauty and grace of the time.
