The Great War no. 11

The Great War no. 11 / Treaty of Versailles shows the palace of Versaille’s famous Hall of Mirrors where delegates are signing the Treaty of Versaille ending World War I . Although the armistice, signed on November 11, 1918, ended the actual fighting it took six months of Allied negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference to conclude the peace treaty. The Paris Peace Conference also known as the Versailles Peace Conference actually took place in Paris, mostly at the Quai d’Orsay. Only the signing of the treaty took place at the palace. Here we are looking down at a wide angle view of the Hall of Mirrors filled to the brim with diplomats from 32 countries and nationalities. One of the most historic events of all times.
Original lithograph signed in pencil by the artist, edition number 40/125 with the the artist’s title written in French on the bottom left of the page. The marks are very faint and hard to decipher so I have named this collection 0f lithographs The Great War 1 thru 12. All the images are in good condition with some of the edges worn by age. Paper size 24 x 33.50 image 19.50 x 25.
Charles Paul Renouard ( 1845 – 1924 ) first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1877. He was primarily a print maker known for his images of actors, dancers and musicians from the Patis Opera and the Theatre Royal, Driry Lane. The Graphic , a weekly pictorial paper founded in 1869 engaged artists from different European countries to send the magazine sketches of events for the readers back home in the USA. Paul Renouard was one of those artists. This series of beautifully executed lithographs were probably from that time when he was out in the field working for The Graphic. Although the Great War was full of horrors Renouard manages to bring beauty and stillness into some of these images, power and drama into others. His skill is apparent and his recording of history in this manner is rare. A very special series of prints by a well known and beloved artist.