St. Raphaël. 1935.

ARTIST: ALBERT SOLON (1897-1973) SIZE: 62 1/8 x 45 3/8 in./158 x 115.2 cm PRINTER: Imp. St. Raphaël, Paris DESCRIPTION: Solon takes St. Raphaël’s waiters—originally designed by Loupot—out of the bar and out for a drive. Though he stays true to Loupot’s color scheme, Solon has added more human details to the men’s faces. The design is noted as “d’après Ray,” though we’re unsure of who Ray might be. Interestingly, we know of two more 1935 designs for St. Raphaël with the same characters; one, by Hardy, shows the waiters on water skis and is “d’après Ray,” while another anonymous design with the waiters on skis is “d’après Solon.” It would appear these artists were engaged in a bit of creative tug-of-war. We hope one of our astute readers will resolve the mystery for us. (Art Deco; Alcohol)