ABC Pl.05 (1935-1936)

Gaston Maréchaux prints bring the fun of French children's books of the 1920s and 1930s to your walls. Maréchaux drew well-dressed children shopping, skating and dining, dogs racing cars, juggling elephants and bright alphabets, in clean lines and cheerful colour. Our collection of fine art prints includes pages from ten of his albums, among them Du chic et du maintien, Champions à 4 pattes, Bon voyage and his ABC books, plus a champagne poster.

About Gaston Maréchaux

Gaston Maréchaux was a French illustrator of children's books. The Bibliothèque nationale de France records his birth in 1872 and gives his death only as "193?", so little is known about his life.

His earliest works in the BnF catalogue are a 1907 sheet-music cover and a 1912 poster. During the First World War he drew colouring postcards and children's albums for the Paris publisher Ch. Ramel & Cie, and cartoons for the magazine La Baïonnette.

In 1920 Ramel published Du chic et du maintien, a picture book of good manners in the style of the Paris fashion plates. In the 1930s he drew colouring albums and alphabets for publishers in Paris, Liège and Tours, often with a coloured model on one page and a blank outline beside it for children to fill in.

Style and Subjects

Maréchaux's pages are bright, tidy and full of gentle humour. Figures are drawn with clear outlines and filled with flat, fresh colour, so they read well even at a small size, which made them perfect for colouring books.

His children are smartly dressed and very well behaved, in the spirit of the fashion plates of the day, while his animals are full of fun: dogs at the wheel of racing cars, ducks taking flight and elephants juggling. The look is pure Art Deco nursery.

Famous Works

• Du chic et du maintien: Sur la glace (1920). Smartly dressed children skating, from his book of good manners.
• Du chic et du maintien: Exposition canine (1920). A visit to the dog show.
• Du chic et du maintien: La visite dans les magasins (1920). Children shopping in the department stores.
• Du chic et du maintien: Cover (1920). The cover of the 1920 Ramel album.
• Champions à 4 pattes, Pl. 01 (1935). Dogs at the wheel of a racing car, from his album of four-legged champions.
• Champions à 4 pattes, Pl. 03 (1935). A flying duck from the same album.
• ABC, Pl. 02 (1936). A page from one of his alphabets.
• Bon voyage, Pl. 18 (1935). The kitchen shelf, from his travel-themed album.

Decorating with Maréchaux Prints

Maréchaux's pages are made for children's rooms and nurseries. A row of alphabet pages or animal champions in bright frames brightens a playroom, and his well-mannered children add vintage French charm to a bedroom.

The Du chic et du maintien scenes also suit a hallway, dressing room or kitchen in a French or Art Deco style, and the champagne poster is a fun choice for a bar area or dining room.

FAQ

Who was Gaston Maréchaux?

Gaston Maréchaux (born 1872, died in the 1930s) was a French illustrator of children's books, colouring albums, postcards and posters.

What is Du chic et du maintien?

A 1920 picture book published by Ch. Ramel & Cie in Paris, showing well-dressed children shopping, skating, dining and visiting a dog show, as a lesson in good manners.

Why are some pages in outline?

Many of his 1930s albums were colouring books, with a coloured model on one page or half-page and a blank outline beside it to fill in.

Where can I see Gaston Maréchaux's work?

The Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris keeps most of his albums, postcards and posters, and 34 of them can be viewed free on Gallica.

When did Gaston Maréchaux die?

The exact date is unknown. The BnF records his death only as "193?".

Related Artists

• Kate Greenaway: English illustrator of well-dressed children
• Benjamin Rabier: French illustrator of comic animals for children
• André Hellé: French illustrator of children's books and toys