Grand Guignol/Le Main de Singe
Artist
Paul Colin
France, 1892 - 1986
Date1930
MediumLithograph
Dimensions59 x 43 1/4 in. (149.9 x 109.9 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Object numberPH.839
DescriptionThis image, showing a large rolling press dripping blood, was one of nearly 1,900 created by the great French poster designer, Paul Colin, whose career in Jazz Age Paris was launched by his 1925 poster for La Revue Negre featuring the Black American dancer and entertainer Josephine Baker. La Main de Singe was one of many adaptations of W. W. Jacobs's short story "The Monkey's Paw," first published in 1902. In this horrific tale, three wishes are granted to the owners of a mummified monkey paw; however, the paw is cursed and terrible consequences ensue. The Grand Guignol in the seedy Pigalle district of Paris, well known for its melodramatic horror stories featuring scenes of realistic violence, was obviously an ideal venue for the play.On View
Not on view
