Joséphine Baker by Paul Colin (1892-1985)

Josephine Baker, charcoal drawing by Paul Colin

Paul Colin was born in Nancy in 1892. He was immersed in the artistic effervescence of his hometown and trained with Eugène Vallin and Victor Prouvé, two of the most important representatives of the Nancy School.
After World War I, André Daven, assistant director of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, appointed him poster artist for the cabaret. His career really took off when he created the poster for La Revue Nègre in 1925, which also launched the career of the young Josephine Baker in Europe. The artist and the dancer had a romantic relationship that turned into a lasting friendship.
Paul Colin went on to create numerous posters for the entertainment world, but also took a political stance, particularly during the Occupation and the Spanish Civil War.
His work is inseparable from the creative effervescence of the interwar period.

Josephine Baker was born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri. Coming from a poor family, she joined theater troupes at a very young age and moved to New York, where she was noticed by the wife of an American diplomat in Paris. 1925 was the year she made her debut to the French public, performing her famous Charleston dance steps. This was followed by a prolific career that took her on tour throughout Europe. An actress in the Harlem Renaissance movement, she was a leading figure in the emancipation of African Americans.

The drawing we present here shows Josephine Baker in profile, with her characteristic hairstyle and bare chest. With a few masterful strokes, Paul Colin captures all the sensuality, gentleness, and pride of his friend. This portrait, both simple and magnetic, encapsulates the artist's admiration for his muse.

Frame dimensions : 28.8 x 23 cm