19.00 USD
Gorgeous treatment of a Leopold Reutlinger portrait of Mlle. Gabrielle Robinne looking very contemplative.
Every now and again we receive a really fine example of what is today, perhaps the "lost art" of hand-coloring. We have tried researching the techniques used for coloring the old "black and white" cards, and we're sure there is a vast amount of information out there, but we haven't found it yet.
We've known someone who uses alcohol based paints on reprints of old photographs to pretty darned good effect (reprints, because they don't wish to harm the originals), and we've also read that when postcards intended for coloring were printed, that in the initial photo development process, they were intentionally printed in lower contrast, somewhat washed out versions. Why? Well, as anyone who ever tried, as a child, applying watercolors (or for that matter, crayons) to black and white images will remember, the application of color to the darker portions of the image, usually muddied the area in a very unattractive way, while a "washed out" image would probably offer a better foundation for coloring. It also seems possible that cards intended for some kinds of color (perhaps this card, for example), might have been printed in sepia, rather than black, tones.
We've included as the third image in this listing, though NOT for sale (it isn't even in our possession), a scan of a black and white version of this card. (It would be really neat, we thought, to develop a collection of matched colored and un-colored images. We have a few of these "couplets" in our own collection, but a large number of them would be very impressive!)
Anyway, in comparing the two cards, take a close look at Mlle. Robinne's up swept hair in our tinted
version. Do you see how, in the upper left center, the hair is accented by strokes of dark color that must have been produced by a brush as fine as a single horsehair? Really remarkable! Then, comparing that area to the same area in the black and white image, you will see how that fine brushwork was applied to the colored version for a very practical reason!, There is a slight blurring in the original uncolored photo that is disguised, in the colored version, by those fine brush strokes. Isn't it amazing that they would have taken such care? We offer you close up crops of these areas from both cards in our listing images.
Exquisitely beautiful Gabrielle Robinne (1886-1980), was made an officer in the French Legion of Honor for her contributions to the Arts.
She was a star of the stage, of silent films, and then of the talkies as well, her career spanning some sixty years.
A lovely, unposted, card. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!