Gazette du Bon Ton (Genre) Fashion Print – Le Poisson D’Argent 1920 #64767-13

This print is titled: Le Poisson D’Argent

Translates to: The Silver Fish

These enchanting, rare pochoir illustrations come from the Bon Ton Gazette, a magazine published by Lucien Vogel between 1912 and 1928. Created to captivate the elite of Paris, the magazine was filled with high-fashion plates and lively articles about the privileged life. However, Bon Ton transcended its initial purpose with its extraordinary quality—luxurious paper, breathtaking prints, and stunning artwork throughout.

In the so-called “forgotten years” of the 1920s, these illustrations evoke the full spectrum of artistic movements that defined this wildly creative period in France, from Impressionism and Fauvism to Cubism, Belle Époque, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco.

The vibrant, bold colors of these prints were produced using the “pochoir” process, where layers of colour were applied by hand through stencils—an early precursor to modern silkscreen printing. Each print measures approximately 19x24cm and features the work of top fashion designers of the day, including Worth, Paquin, and Poiret.

The most prominent artists who contributed to Bon Ton were Georges Barbier, Erté, Georges Lepape, Paul Iribe, and Pierre Brissaud, among others. Some sources even suggest Aubrey Beardsley for the outlines and Léon Bakst for the colors. Georges Barbier was a true star of the era, flourishing in the world of design and haute couture illustration, contributing not only to Bon Ton but also to Vogue. His and Lepape’s designs for the magazine are particularly cherished today.