The Art of Emile Mercier - A Retrospective Miscellany

Description

The intent here is to pay tribute to the life and art of an eclectic artist in a competitive twentieth century field then known as 'Black and White' art. Generally regarded as being closer to journalism than fine art, its practitioners' careers were often as ephemeral as the paper products they enhanced, although some also straddled the social spectrum from pulp to gallery, notably the Lindsays and Walter Pigeon.This compilation focuses upon the early versatility of one such 'Black and White' artist; its range may surprise some admirers of Mercier's more familiar later cartoons. Consider it a precursor to sprung back lanes and gravy cans.