Lautrec prepared the third poster, commissioned by Jean Sarrazin, a curious person from the Montmartre bohemia, who opened a new cabaret “Divan Japone” on Martir Street. Jean Sarrazen, this popularizer of “olives among the northern tribes,” as he called himself, for a long time wandered through Montmartre from one cabaret to another with a basin in his hands, offering lovers for five sous twelve olives in a bag of paper with his poem. Then, without parting with his basin, he equipped the “Japanese sofa” – a narrow hall with a low ceiling, decorated and furnished in Japanese style. Then Japan was in fashion as a painting, both in theater and literature.
In the “Japanese sofa” waitresses were dressed in kimono, billiard tables are painted in blue and red colors, the ceiling is gilded, and the chairs are covered with black varnish. “Poet with olives” showed discernment in the choice of entertainment. A year ago, he made a very successful move, inviting the singer Yvette Gilbert, which in many ways contributed to the success of cabaret.
The identity of Yvette Gilbert seemed to have attracted Lautrec, but in his poster dedicated to “Divan”, he depicts only her silhouette in the corner of the composition, giving more space to Jane Avril, who appears as his spectator, and Edouard Dujardin.
Poster “Divan Japone” or “Japanese sofa”, is interesting because Lautrec used in her reception, forcing the viewer to constantly translate the look, not allowing to focus on any details. Ultimately, the rhythmic play of objects, when the vultures of double basses, a cane, the hands of a conductor and hands with a fan are compared, leads to the fact that the look stops on the lowered hands, tightened in black gloves. The artist has achieved a feeling not only of the artificiality of what is happening, but also managed to erase the line dividing the viewer’s world with what is happening on the stage.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)