Louis Icart is the artist who turned women into Art Deco legends. His paintings, full of sensuality, grace and a touch of irony, reflect the glamor and spirit of 1920s Paris. Who was he - an eccentric fashionista, a romantic or a witty chronicler of his era? Why are his works once again captivating collectors around the world? And how did an artist who started with postcards become a symbol of refined eroticism in art? This is what we will talk about in today's article
After leaving his career as a banker, he took a job in a workshop where he created postcards of women with racy figures and later collaborated with famous magazines of his day, including Paul-César Helleu and Manuel Robbe. By the outbreak of the First World War, Louis Icart was already among the most popular French illustrators.
During the war, he served as a pilot, but on his return to civilian life he became fully immersed in his work. In the heyday of Art Deco, the artist developed his own unique style, inspired by the works of 18th century masters such as François Boucher and Jean Honoré Fragonard. His paintings combined delicate femininity, sophisticated fashion and light humor. They were loved by the public for their graceful ladies' images - girls in interiors, surrounded by dogs, cats, horses and birds. Icarus painted in oils, but the bulk of his legacy is watercolors and graphics, made in the spirit of Art Deco. Some works can be attributed to the early manifestation of the pin-up style.
The artist met his muse, a young blonde girl named Fanny, in 1914. She became his wife, muse and main model, inspiring him throughout his life.
Although Louis Icart's work seems light-hearted, the period of World War II changed his subject matter. After the occupation of France, he created a series of serious works called “L'Exode” (“The Escape”), which reflected the horrors of the Nazi occupation. The artist himself, like many others, was forced to leave Paris.
After the artist's death in 1950, his name was almost forgotten, but in the 1970s interest in his work was rekindled. Icarus' works were returned from the archives, and today they are in great demand at the world's major auctions.
Louis Icart is often compared to the Impressionists - for example, in the softness of his strokes one can catch the mood of Degas and the light painting of Monet. His decorative lightness is reminiscent of Symbolists such as Gustave Moreau or Redon. However, unlike many of his contemporaries, Icarus was not caught up in fashionable artistic trends and followed his own path. His painting is more of a chronicle of everyday beauty, which he admired every day. His heroines are not so much philosophical images, but the embodiment of charm and playfulness - with a dose of eroticism and humor. This is what distinguishes him from his more “serious” colleagues and makes his style unique.
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