Èclairage Magondeaux
Lithography on paper
Louis Maîtrejean was a French impressionist, modern artist and illustrator. Here he envisions Magondeaux lighting (èclairage) in the form of a red devil-like figure sitting atop a gas canister with a black as night background. This devil figure also controls a bright beam of light that emanates from the blackness. The contrasts in the lithograph are evident; light and dark, red and black yet also the devil (the personification of the gas) and security (which comes with light).
Magondeaux was founded in 1912 by Roger Puiffe de Magondeaux (1883 – 1964), one of the great French industrialists. The name Magondeaux marked the history of the automobile by introducing a revolutionary acetylene gas lighting system for automobiles. At the time, the lighting system in use was unstable, dangerous and even explosive, but the introduction of acetylene changed all of this.
Studio Maitrejean, 9, Rue Campagne Première, Paris