"The revolution in style between the Wars came in response to the changing demands of life in modern society in an age characterized by splendor, by excess, and by the machine. Graphic artists working in the Art Deco style employed all available techniques to achieve the visual impact necessary in advertising the products of the new era, especially those of the cinema, tourism and consumer luxuries. Cubism, Futurism, Egyptian and Aztec art, and the oriental opulence of the Ballets Russes contributed to the creation of a broad stylistic vocabulary of Art Deco designed to demand attention by its clear, simple and strong images and bold colour schemes. These trends were seen together for the first time in the epoch-making 1925 Paris Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts from which the style derived its name. Not only were the great poster artists of the same age, such as Cassandre, Colin and Carlu influenced by this vision of Art Deco, but elements of it were absorbed and used with refined and delicate effect by the foremost magazine and fashion illustrators like Barbier and Lepape. A number of artists also produced lithographs in the style, including Marie Laurencin, Jouve, Foujita, Iribe, and Laboureur." -- Text from back cover. Jean Delhaye has compiled over 100 illustrations, many in full colour, representative of the various ways in which the graphic style of Art Deco developed, from geometric, almost abstract simplification and photographic collage to volumetric neo-classicism and the elegance of the archetypal chic Parisienne. In addition to the main exponents of the style many lesser known artists are included among them Benito, Schmied, Icart, van Dongen, Zig, Martin, Sabran, Bonfils, Arnoux and Vincent.

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