A fabulous watercolor by Barbier. BARBIER, GEORGES. 1882-1932. Pierrot and Columbine [Pierrot et Colombine] [Paris], 1914. (280 x 249 mm). Original gouache and watercolor on paper, signed 'G. Barbier' and dated '1914' on the base of the right-hand topiary urn. A SPECTACULAR ICON OF ART DECO ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGES BARBIER, CAPTURING THE HIGH-FASHION THEATRICALITY OF THE EARLY TWENTIETH-CENTURY PARISIAN AVANT-GARDE. Before cementing his legacy as a premier costume designer for the Folies Bergère and Hollywood cinema, Georges Barbier revolutionized the world of graphic arts through his lavish, stylized illustrations of classical theatrical characters. This exceptional work, dating to the pivotal eve of the First World War in 1914, depicts the timeless Commedia dell'arte duo of Pierrot and Columbine locked in a stylized game of masquerade deception. Barbier's masterful use of line and geometry is on full display here. The high-contrast, black-and-blue checkerboard floor anchors the composition, contrasting brilliantly against the soft, voluminous white folds of Pierrot's traditional attire. Columbine, draped in a voluminous dress and sporting an elegant domino mask, sneaks behind the melancholic servant to blindfold his eyes, while a single candlestick curls a plume of smoke into the draped curtain backdrop. Works of this specific caliber from Barbier's golden pre-war period represent the absolute pinnacle of the Art Deco aesthetic. This composition remains one of Barbier's most instantly recognizable and culturally significant graphics. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing