Lot #783: Two Vintage 1900s Art Postcards - "The Kiss of Judas" E. Herbert (Lapina, Paris, France) - "Changing Pasture" Anton Mauve (Eastman Kodak AZO)

Two Vintage 1900s Art Postcards. (1) One Vintage France 1900s Art Postcard, unused, showing Christ in the Garden of Gethsemene, with caption "The Kiss of Judas - E. Herbert - Musée du Louvre". This richly coloured postcard indicates the publisher as "Printed in Paris - Lapina". No Stamp. Never Postally Used. No Message. This Lapina card was produced by the premier printer for the Musée du Louvre, representing the "gold standard" of early 20th-century museum souvenirs. The artist, Antoine-Auguste-Ernest Hébert (1817–1908), was a giant of the French Academic style and a director of the Villa Medici in Rome. "The Kiss of Judas" depicts the moment of betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hébert was known for his mastery of "emotional atmosphere." Rather than a chaotic arrest scene, he focuses on the psychological tension between the serene, sorrowful Christ and the shadowy, conspiratorial Judas. The Louvre Context: By the 1900s, Hébert’s works were staples of the Louvre and the Musée du Luxembourg. This card allowed the public to own a high-quality reproduction of a work that embodied the national French taste of the era. The Lapina firm (located on Rue d'Arcole in Paris) was world-renowned for its "Arcoluxe" and high-end collotype processes. Lapina didn't just print images; they aimed to recreate the texture of the museum experience. Their cards often have a matte, slightly toothy finish that prevents the "glare" seen on cheaper American cards. (2) One Vintage USA 1900s Art "Real Photograph" Postcard, unused, showing a woman leading two cows with title caption "Changing Pasture - Anton Mauve - Metropolitan Museum of Art". This postcard does not indicate the publisher, but the "stamp box" contains the abbreviation "A Z O" four times. No Stamp. Never Postally Used. No Message. This AZO Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) is a fantastic bridge between the Dutch "Hague School" of painting and American photographic technology. It captures a masterpiece by Anton Mauve, a leading figure in Dutch realism and, notably, a cousin-in-law and early teacher of Vincent van Gogh. Anton Mauve excelled at depicting the quiet, humble labor of the countryside. The scene of a woman leading cattle reflects the "Low Countries" tradition of finding dignity in the mundane. This painting was a significant acquisition for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During the early 20th century, Mauve was immensely popular with American collectors, who saw his work as a more accessible, poetic form of realism compared to the starker French styles. Because this is a "Real Photograph" ("AZO" RPPC) there are no lithographic dots. If you were to look at the woman or the cows under a magnifying glass, you would see continuous photographic detail. The shadows and highlights are created by actual silver particles in the paper's emulsion. The Kodak AZO "Stamp Box" with Square Corners date this card to the period after WWI. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}