156 - Iribe, Paul (1883–1935). Choix. Montrouge, Ed. Iribe, 1930. 4°. 29 pp., 1 leaf, and 7 plates on foil, each mounted on coated and embossed cardboard with gold and silver printing by the Draeger Frères press. Spiral binding, Okart.

Iribe, Paul (1883–1935). Choix. Montrouge, Ed. Iribe, 1930. 4°. 29 pp., 1 leaf, and 7 plates on foil, each mounted on coated and embossed cardboard with gold and silver printing by the Draeger Frères press. Spiral binding, Okart. One of 400 (out of a total of 800) numbered copies not available commercially. – An experimental artist’s book, ahead of its time in terms of materials and printing techniques. It derives its visual effects from the interplay of transparent foil and colored, textured cardboard, each paired with a text sheet. In its artistic and technical perfection, this artist’s book was unparalleled in its time. It serves as an authoritative celebration of its creator’s achievements as a pioneer of Art Deco: a prominent illustrator (for example, the “Gazette du bon ton” would be almost unimaginable without his contributions), poster artist, and designer of stage sets, interiors, jewelry, fashion, costumes, fans, fabrics, and fashion from Poiret to Chanel. With all of this, Iribe also made stylistic history in the United States during the 1920s, particularly in Hollywood (Cecil B. DeMille), and when he returned to France in 1930, he took stock of his multifaceted artistic career in the field of book art with “Choix.” The fact that he was so far ahead of his time with his foil incunabula stands in contrast to the eternal durability of his creation: foils and coated panels wear down over time, resulting in changes in color and layers. – Extremely rare; only one copy has been documented in postwar German auctions. – Reprinted and newly published in 2018.