Guynemer signed portrait

[charles]

This is a lithograph measuring 12" wide x 16" high of a portrait of Georges Guynemer. It is numbered 328 of 430 (or possibly 930), it’s hard to tell from the lightly penciled notation. The print is dated 1916 Fev. and signed by the artist L. C. Breslau in the lower left hand corner. The artist’s signature is part of the print, itself, not original.


Below the print on the paper to which it is attached is Guynemer's original signature on the left and the pencilled 328 over 430 or 930.


And this is the complete piece, the lithograph plus the paper to which it is attached measuring 17" wide x 24" high.


On the right hand side is an image of the famous 'Stork' of the elite Groupe de Combat 12 dubbed "Les Cigognes" or "The Storks."


Interestingly, I put this on a light box and noticed watermarks imprinted into the paper. Using Photoshop to bring them out I found that across the paper in block letters was watermarked “Armee Francaise” and several round watermarks, the clearest of which is this one; perhaps it is a printer’s watermark


I think these were made to raise money for the war.

This print is identical to item 4097 in Butterfield’s 11/14/2000 auction of The Norm Flayderman Collection of Vintage Memorabilia, page 26. That item may have been the original drawing itself; this is a print.

Your thoughts?

Hi Charles,

You have a very rare piece of aviation history. I have yet to see Guynemer's signature until now. Thanks for sharing it with us. May I ask where you got it?

regards

[joegertler]

Charles; What a magnificent piece. Since Guynemer died in Sept 1917, his autograph has to be quite rare. Although some would be dismayed at the water-stains at bottom, I feel that they just add to showing the age of the piece, along with the age-toning of the paper. I note that the Guynemer signature is not an "exact" copy of the signature on the original Charcoal & crayon art work. So one can be confident it is a genuine signature and not printed on the paper. I was looking at the edition number and was wondering if it might be an edtion of 450 or 950. The "3" looks a little different from top & bottom and I can't see it that well but it looks like a possible 5. As Marie-Louise-Catherine Breslau was a "noted painter, lithographer and pastellist," I'm thinking that a run of either 500 or 1000 lithos would be a common number and it was common to separate the first 50 in such runs as a separate offering of artist-proofs. Perhaps also signed by the artist, too.
You have another treasure! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[charles]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

This is the signature enlarged and the pencilled notation.



And for those modellers out there who might need it, this is the stamp of the stork in the right hand corner.



Charley

I agree with Joe that it is magnificent and that I would not be concerned about the water stain, but, if you ever decided you felt differently, the water stain can be taken out without any real risk to the rest of the piece. Poster conservators handle much worse than that as a matter of routine. Its amazing how folds, stains, and even tears just disappear at their hands. You just want to make sure you get one who knows what he's doing. Look at his work.