La Croisette, New York 1961

Jean Dominique Van Caulaert (1897-1979) was a favorite painter of the French art deco period and was particularly well-known for his celebrity portraiture. Starting in 1933, he began painting personalities and show business stars of Paris including singer and lyricist Edith Piaf, singer and film actor Tino Rossi and the French actress and singer known as Mistinguett. The Belgian/French artist also drew stars of the city’s Music Halls, hugely popular until the advent of sound in cinema, and worked with some of the biggest stars of the genre including Marie Dubas and Lyse Gauty. Another of his subjects was the American/French singer and actress Josephine Baker, known as the Black Venus. Born in Louis, MO, she was the highest paid female entertainer in Europe and became a spy for the French Resistance during WWII and went on to fight for civil rights. Another subject was the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich. Van Caulaert also had a flourishing career as a poster artist, creating promotional materials for major venues like the Casino de Paris, Folies Bergère, and the Moulin Rouge. With the artist’s background, you might think this wonderful 1966 menu cover - we don’t know of any other he created – is French. In fact, this was for a restaurant in New York City called La Croisette, located at 58th and First Avenue. It portrays La Croisette, the boulevard that borders the bay of Cannes and is one of the most famous promenades in the world. Van Laulaert visited the United States in 1951 and from then on worked eight months a year in New York and four in Paris. This menu cover, printed in New Jersey, was one of his commercial projects while working in the US. After his death at the Villa des Arts in Montmartre, Van Caulaert was posthumously awarded the Legion of Honour (Légion d'honneur) by the French government for his distinguished contributions to arts and his role in enhancing French cultural reputation. Gallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson Ultrachrome HD archival inks. Custom printed with border for matting and framing. Each order includes a print of the interior menu. All printed in USA.