Intriguing mixed-media graphic of a round-shouldered anti-Noah releasing a dove. If this is not a mock-up for the cover design of a 1950s piece of littérature de gare (train-station literature), then it should be! The French angle is our attempt to tie in the mysterious signature, “Boileau,” which frankly has us stymied. There was a successful mid-century French crime-writing duo, Pierre Boileau (1906–1989) and Thomas Narcejac (1908–1998), but we see no connection to this piece—other than a certain film-noir je ne sais quoi. Many of their works, incidentally, were adapted as films—most famously Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Ink and pastel on colored paper.

DETAILS

Artist – UNKNOWN

Period/Year – 1971

Origin – UNKNOWN

Styles/Movements – ILLUSTRATION, MODERN, FIGURATIVE

Media – INK, PASTEL

Support – PAPER

Colors – TAN, MUSTARD, BLACK, WHITE

Condition – Excellent vintage condition. May show minor signs of previous ownership and use.

Dimensions – 14" H × 18" W × ¼" D