Nu, 1954

Maurice Louis Savin  

Original ink drawing signed in the lower right corner executed on a "biographical sheet" of the Plastic Arts stand of La Kermesse aux Etoiles.

History :
Under the patronage of Madame la Maréchale Leclerc, the first Kermesse aux Etoiles was organised in Paris in 1948 by the social works of the Second Armoured Division, chaired by Madame Massu.
Set up in the Tuileries Gardens, visitors could, for three days and three nights, wander among the many stands and tents dedicated to the army and the Colonies, but also occupied by major advertising brands.
Theatres, cinemas, shows, sports areas, merry-go-rounds, kindergartens, bars, refreshment stands, restaurants, tombola, etc. Everything was planned for the party!
The Kermesse owed its success above all to the presence of numerous film and entertainment stars, but also writers.
Everyone could approach their idol and have the booklet they had bought at the entrance signed.

In 1951, Jacques Fillacier and André Hambourg had the idea of having artists participate in this popular event. Paul Charlot, Henri Plisson and Paul Feugereux, director of the ABC School of Drawing, were associated with the project.
None of them could have predicted the success of the event, as it was the first time that painters were going to "show themselves" and "work" in public.
Nevertheless, nearly a hundred artists accepted the idea of this adventure. Among them Léonard Foujita, Marie Laurencin, Maurice Utrillo, to name but a few.
The Fine Arts Stand at the Kermesse aux Etoiles opened its doors in 1952.
Installed on platforms, the artists worked actively in front of a large crowd.
They took to the game and did not hesitate to add a quick drawing or a watercolour to their signature.
The success was immediate!
Each sheet was sold symbolically and marked with a large red or blue stamp "Kermesse aux Etoiles". The following two years, the stamp was more discreet.
In 1953, the public was even more numerous and the artists were assisted in the sale and presentation of their works by renowned dealers and auctioneers.
Several collections of 25 drawings and watercolours were put together and offered for sale.

For artists who could not attend, the organisers had sheets printed with their names, a short biography and the mention of the Kermesse au Etoiles Plastic Arts Stand, leaving a large space for the work.
The painters could then work in their studios.