Louis Marcoussis (1883-1941) - Lot 288

Louis Marcoussis (1883-1941) Lady Abdy. 1933. Etching. 298x395mm. Milet 98. Fine proof on applied pink bubble, from the 5th state (of 7), before the engraved signature and date, before the bevels, annotated "essai" and signed in pencil (proof cited by Milet). Slight oxidation of the folio. Small (reduced) margins. Workshop stamp on verso. Provenance: Artist's studio. Born Iya de Gay in 1897 in the province of Kharkov (now Ukraine), the model in this print arrived in Paris in 1921, where she began working as a model for the Callot sisters' salon. It was there that collector Sir Robert Henry Edward Abdy met her. Marriage opened many doors for her: she worked with fashion designer Paul Poiret, the Mainbocher couture house, couturier Édouard Molinet and other renowned designers, including - briefly - Coco Chanel. Many artists painted her portrait, including Man Ray, Derain, Balthus, Cecil Beaton... At the end of an adventurous life - partly linked to her espionage activities during the war - she died in Cannes in 1992, aged 89.