Henri-Gabriel Ibels (1867-1936) - Lot 119

Henri-Gabriel Ibels (1867-1936) Programs for the Théâtre Libre. 1892-1893. Lithograph. Each approx. [320x240mm]. Printed in color. Fine proofs on white vellum, some with minor edge damage. Vertical and horizontal folds to some. Set of 7 p. Program list: - Le Grappin; L'Affranchie. November 3, 1892. Aitken 14. - Les Fossiles. December 29, 1892. Aitken 15. - À bas le progrès! Mademoiselle Julie; Le Ménage Brésile. January 16, 1893. Aitken 16. - Le Devoir. February 15, 1893. Dubbed proof. Aitken 17. - Les Tisserands. May 29, 1893. Aitken 19. - La Belle au bois rêvant; Mariage d'argent; Ahasvère. June 12, 1893. Aitken 21. - Grand-papa; Si c'était... June 13, 1895. Aitken 29. Ref. F. Stahl et al, H. G. Ibels, un Nabi engagé, exhibition catalogue, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Musée Maurice Denis, Albi, Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, 2025, pp. 96-101. "In 1887, André Antoine founded the Théâtre Libre in opposition to the official theater. He wanted to renovate theater by presenting plays by naturalist authors staged without artifice. He asked artists to illustrate his programs. Ibels designed those for the 1892-1893 season: at odds with the play's subject, he favored social themes. He circled his figures with a black line, using vivid flat tints and angles of view reminiscent of the aesthetics of Japanese prints". (Exhibition "Impressions nabies", BnF, Sept. 9, 2025 - March 8, 2026).