Georges Lepape (1887-1971). Vive la France, 1917.... Lot 36

Georges Lepape (1887-1971). Vive la France, 1917. Tempera and graphite on paper. Original image for the cover of the English edition of Vogue magazine, November 1917. Signed and dated upper right: Lepape 1917. Size 38x35cm. Ref. magazine cover illustrated in monograph: Georges Lepape / l'Elegance Illustrée / Claude Lepape & Thierry Deffert / Herscher / 1983. In 1915, Lepape invented a republican figure: an amalgam of Marianne and Charlotte Corday, christened Mam'zelle Victoire. She wears the cockade and embodies the finest qualities of the nation. Never faltering, even when hope is faint, she becomes the beloved symbol of France. In this skilfully rendered image, the French Tricolor and roses provide the backdrop for Mam'zelle Victoire's triumphantly raised arms and the fiery expression of her determination. The helmets of the poilus, their bayonets and the drum-major's baton flying in the air during the parade on the Champs-Élysées give us hope that victory is not far off.