Marcel Vertès — Dancing. Douze Lithographies Originales
Éditions Pellet, Paris, c. 1925
Large-format deluxe portfolio — complete + original watercolor & original drawing
A magnificent and extremely rare complete example of Marcel Vertès’ Dancing, one of the artist’s most refined Art Deco portfolios. Published by Éditions Pellet in a limited edition of 300 copies, the work contains:
12 numbered original lithographs (édition à 300 exemplaires)
2 different states of the title page (lithographic cover variants)
1 original watercolor by Marcel Vertès
1 original graphite drawing by Marcel Vertès
All loose as issued, housed in the original black cloth-covered portfolio with red ties and a plexiglass front cover — a highly unusual and visually striking presentation, specific to a small subset of deluxe copies.
Contents & Features
Twelve full-page colour lithographs in Vertès’ glamorous, fluid Art Deco style, depicting Parisian dancers, jazz musicians, elegant interiors and nightlife scenes of the 1920s.
Each lithograph bears the printed “Vertès” signature as issued.
Two additional unnumbered compositions: a rare original watercolor and a delicate original pencil drawing, both signed in the plate, presenting variant interpretations of figures from the lithographic suite.
Large format: approx. 450 × 625 mm, significantly larger than Vertès’ standard printed books and portfolios — an impressive display size.
Portfolio
Original Pellet slipcase with cloth spine and edges, complete with red cloth ties.
Front cover protected with a sheet of transparent plexiglass, as issued for certain deluxe examples.
Interior retains the characteristic red lining known from Vertès’ high-end Pellet editions.
Condition
A very well-preserved example. The lithographs show strong colour, crisp lines, and the typical soft paper tone of Pellet’s 1920s production. The portfolio shows light expected wear, but remains structurally excellent.
Rarity
Complete examples of Dancing are scarce.
Examples including both:
the original watercolor,
the original signed graphite drawing,
plus all 12 lithographs and both title-page
states,
and housed in the large-format plexiglass-covered folder, are exceptionally rare and seldom appear on the market.
A major Art Deco work by VertèsDancing is considered one of Vertès’ finest illustrated productions — a vivid celebration of the Parisian nightlife during the interwar period, executed with his trademark elegance, movement, and theatrical sensitivity.
