Croquis de Temps de Guerre (portfolio of signed lithographs by Steinlen)

Paris: La Guerre / d'Alignan, 1916. WITH 18 LITHOGRAPHS ON IMPERIAL JAPANESE PAPER, ALL SIGNED BY STEINLEN. No. 1 (all published). A portfolio of 18 ORIGINAL LITHOGRAPHS by Steinlen (complete), 14 printed in black and 4 printed in blue. ONE OF ONLY 100 SETS PRINTED ON IMPERIAL JAPANESE PAPER, WITH ALL OF THE LITHOGRAPHS SIGNED BY THE ARTIST. World War I greatly affected Steinlen, and he set out to publish the "Wartime Sketches", a series of 72 lithographs in four portfolios. It was the artist's intention to create a 20th-century "Disasters of War" which would continue the tradition established by Callot, De Hooghe, and Goya. Only the first of these portfolios was published (the one I offer here), in a very small edition. The lithographs in this portfolio focus on the human side of war: there are no battle scenes, just powerful, lingering images of women and children, recruits and refugees. Benezit says that "Au cours de la guerre (1914-1918), il a consacre aux malheurs de la Belgique et de la Serbie envahies quelques estampes qui resteront parmi les productions les plus interessantes inspirees par la guerre." In most sets, the lithographs are signed only in the stone, but IN DELUXE SETS LIKE THIS ONE, EACH OF THE 18 LITHOGRAPHS IS ADDITIONALLY SIGNED BY STEINLEN IN CRAYON. A 19th lithograph by Steinlen, not part of this series, is laid in at the front. Large folio (40 cm), publisher's portfolio. Lithographs loose as issued. Very light wear to portfolio, but clean and solid with original ties. THE LITHOGRAPHS ARE ALL FINE AND BRIGHT. Very rare: most copies have been dismembered. Christophe, "Steinlen: L'Oeuvre de Guerre" catalogue nos. 1, 2, 12, 16-17, 24a, 50, 83-90, 124a, 128, and 131.