386 - Raymond PEYNET (1908–1999)

Raymond PEYNET (1908–1999) Set of 15 preparatory drawings Mixed media on paper Each (except one) annotated in a box: “Maquette Peynet copyright Hermite” 28 x 18 cm to 28 x 22 cm (Signs of wear, small tears at the margins, stains, creases) Description: Born in Paris in 1908, Raymond Peynet enrolled at the age of fifteen at the École Germain-Pilon, which later became the École des Arts Appliqués, and went on to work for the press and department store catalogs. He contributed to *Ric et Rac*, *Le Rire*, *Elle*, *Ici-Paris*, and *Paris-Match*, and created some two hundred posters, notably for Air France and Galeries Lafayette. In 1942, at the bandstand in Valence, Peynet’s famous “Amoureux” (Lovers) were born—a tender couple that stood in stark contrast to the grotesque characters of Albert Dubout, who was then in vogue. Georges Brassens would later say he drew inspiration from them for “Les Amoureux des bancs publics.” Featured on Rosenthal porcelain, dolls, jewelry, and stamps, they influenced an entire generation of illustrators, including Alain Grée. Two museums in France—in Antibes and Brassac-les-Mines—are dedicated to him, as are two in Japan. This collection of models offers a glimpse into the illustrator’s preparatory work leading up to publication.