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a poster for the film ' s production of the film, the cocaine
Premium Maître Nicolas CONSTANTY

19 - René Gaillard (19th–20th centuries) – Cocaine.
See original version (French)

Estimate €3,000 - €4,000
Sale commission
Description
René Gaillard (19th–20th centuries) – Cocaine. 1926. 158 x 118 cm. Original poster, lithographic print, mounted on canvas. Condition A-, two small flaws in the mounting at the top. Here we present a very rare theatre poster dealing with an unusual theme: drugs. Nothing in this image is insignificant. It depicts both the physical ravages caused by its use and the places where it was distributed. The Sacré-Cœur is clearly visible, and at the foot of the hill stands the Moulin Rouge. Between the two, is this a reference to cocaine – then known as the ‘Queen of Horror’ – embodied by this green, macabre monster? Or is it a stylised representation of absinthe, the ‘Green Fairy’, furious that a new addiction is encroaching on her territory? It is clear that this is indeed an Art Deco poster, thanks to the main character’s ‘à la garçonne’ hairstyle, and the style borrowed from Paul Colin’s work on the posters for Joséphine Baker’s Revue Nègre, used to depict the musicians. One might even detect an expressionist aspect in the treatment of the subject. During the Roaring Twenties, cocaine spread like wildfire through the still-festive Montmartre. Having moved from the working classes to the bourgeoisie, in cabarets and jazz clubs, ‘la coco’, as it was known at the time, was everywhere. Even among florists, who sold bouquets of ‘snow-white’ violets, and oyster sellers who hid a small packet in a shell, from the Place de Clichy all the way to Barbès. It is amusing to note that this area is still the drug hub of Paris, albeit without the refinement and joie de vivre. This play is the work of Louis le Gouriadec (known as Paul Gury), originally from Brittany, with Mars Biso in the lead role. It was performed in Paris – most likely at the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre – and in Brussels. It is likely that the author drew inspiration from the book *L’Armée du crime* by Marcel Nadaud and André Fage (published by Anquetil, 1926), which devotes several chapters to the issue of this substance in Paris.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Shocking posters! Poster sale no. 18.
Auction location
Auction time 11/05/2026 at 4:00 PM
Lot description modified on 10/05/2026 at 4:13 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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