After several years as a designer of jewelry, d’Ylen became a full-time posterist in 1919 and signed an exclusive contract with Vercasson in 1922. He may have owed the job offer to the fact he was a sincere admirer and disciple of Cappiello, who was the previous star of the Vercasson shop, and thus the firm was assured of an uninterrupted flow of designs of unbridled exuberance that had been Cappiello’s trademark. In total, d’Ylen designed three posters for Visseaux light bulbs, of which this is the first. Dazzling and inexpensive, the half-watt Visseaux clearly intends to outshine the competition, and calling upon d’Ylen’s talents was clearly a step in the right direction. The poster is a bright burst of inspiration, with an exciting creative flare-up that contrasts the red Visseaux “V” off of the yellow “X” of the central figure’s spread-eagled limbs. This is the smaller format.
Imp. Vercasson, Paris
literature: PAI-XLIII, 592 (var)