Josephine Baker wearing a flounced dress – 1930
Josephine brings her Va Va Voom to Paris
Josephine Baker was an integral part of the Jazz Age. Her irrepressible charm and panache was embraced immediately by Parisians when she arrived in Paris in 1925 as a 19 yo dancer, during the peak of the French obsession with American Jazz and all things exotic. The promotional tools of the print media, developed successfully in the Art Nouveau era, were ready for a star in the Jazz Age and Josephine delivered in spades with her joie de vivre. She became the toast of the Paris cabaret clubs and headlined at the famous Folies Bergères known by names as the “Black Pearl,” “Bronze Venus” and even the “Creole Goddess” . She was a muse to numerous talented artists and her expressive, comedic, uninhibited performances made her a famous icon of the Jazz Age. Pablo Picasso said that Josephine had the smile to end all smiles.
During the 1950s, Baker frequently returned to the United States to lend support to the Civil Rights Movement, participating in demonstrations and boycotting segregated clubs and concert venues. While looking over the crowd at the 1963 March on Washington, Josephine stated “Salt and pepper. Just what it should be.”
She had to wait until 1973 in the United States before she was accepted for her boundless talent and activism. She was greeted with a standing ovation at the beginning of her performance at Carnegie Hall in New York, which reduced her to tears, as she stood six inches deep in the roses that were thrown on the stage. Josephine Baker became the first black woman to achieve international stardom.
In her humble self assessment –
“I have never been a great artist. I have been a human being that has loved art, which is not the same thing. But I have loved and believed in art and the idea of universal brotherhood so much, that I have put everything I have into them, and I have been blessed.”
Josephine Baker bust – Stephanie Farago
Her natural flair for glamour and sophistication and her large collection of exotic animals was one of the contributing factors that made this a recurring theme in the Art Deco arts. She personified the exuberant abandon of the Jazz era and the spontaneous free expression and energy of her charismatic performances had an influence on the proliferation of dynamic, cubist designs in the Jazz Age art. Josephine’s chic, modern, confident style also helped to popularize this style in Art Deco, which she epitomized with her sleek and glamorous outfits. The Jazz Cleopatra, one of her many titles, became an embodiment of the Modernist art movement combining Primitivism, Expressionism and Cubism and her bronzed feminine form was immortalized in many of the bronze figurines created during this era. The great art deco poster designer, Paul Colin, did many amazing posters featuring Josephine with stylized form and cubist geometry.
The Jazz Age, which ran from the end of WW1 to the beginning of the Depression had an art form that was characterised by elongated silhouettes, clean angular lines and blocks of bold colour. Spontaneous movement was depicted with abstract cubist geometric designs and zig zag lines, which also had an indirect reference to the two zz’s in Jazz.
Art pieces inspired by Josephine Baker and the Jazz Age
Carlton Ware ‘Jazz’ series vase, design by Enoch Boulton
© Terry Wise 2009
carltonwareworld.com
Josephine Baker
Aux Poissons vase – Mougin
Bronze statuette Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Jazz Age porcelain vase -Morimura Noritake / Green Marks
Lacquer Screen – Jean Dunand
Jazz Age Vogue
Art Deco metalwork from the facade of the Chanin Building, NY
Josephine Baker at the Casino de Paris
Photo – Luis Ramon Marin
1930s
Royal Art Pottery – Jazz Age Jug
Lillehammer Lane Antique Mall, UK
Josephine Baker ” Bakerfix” Hair Brilliantine bust
Movie ‘Princesse Tam Tam’ – Josephine Baker
1935
‘Sahdji’ (Tribal Women) – Aaron Douglas, , 1925
Howard University Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Josephine Baker cartoon from the German Magazine Ulk – 1928
Edouard Cazaux, French Art Deco
Art Deco panel – Rene Buthaud
‘Belg La Danse’ – Charles Catteau
Josephine Baker performing in her Monte Carlo show ” The Josephine Baker Story “
Photo – Jack Garofalo
Getty Images
Josephine and panther figurine – Haeger
c.Felton – flickr
Jazz Age vase – Charles Catteau
Karel Palda – Geometric Czech Art Deco /Jazz Age vase
“The Dance” magazine Jazz Age cover
‘African Fantasy–The Awakening’ – Winold-Reiss（1886ー1953）
c 1925
Large Sevres Jazz Age baluster vase – 1927, France
Height 37cm
Drouot.com
Art Deco sculpture – Erte
Folies Bergere, Paris
Josephne Baker bust – Franz Hagenauer
French Josephine Baker brooch
Trois feminine – Erte
Giuseppe Armani ceramic figurine
Josephine Baker scultpture by Karl Hagenauer
Cubist Jazz Age Josephine Baker poster
Danseuse aux Boules – Maurice and Marcel Denis, Max Le Verrier
1925 – 1937
Spherical cubist jazz age vase – Josef Herbe
Josephine Baker, c1950 Studio Harcourt, Paris
Dancer with Borzoi by Abel R. Philippe
Polyvore
Alexander Calder – 1941
Josephine Baker by Studio Harcourt
Bronze figurine of Josephine Baker – Karl Hagenauer
Josephine Baker – Probably a Le Vie Parisienne illustration
Josephine Baker cookie jar by Michael and Shelley Buonaiuto
Jazz Age Cubist sculpture figurines by Prrimavera
1930
Kiki – Pablo Gargallo
Vase Atelier Art Deco Faure Limoges 1925-1933
Josephine Baker art poster 1935
One of the many movies that Josephine Baker starred in.
Dancers Plate – Rene lalique
1943
‘Harlem’ – Robert Cook
1992
Carlton Ware – ‘Jazz’– vase designed by Enoch Boulton, an expression of the zeitgeist of the Jazz Age, 1930
© Harvey Pettit 2009
carltonwareworld.com
‘Acquacade’ – Robert Hoppe
Jazz Age Art deco theatre with Josephine Baker and Louis Armstrong wall panels.
Pollaro Interiors,USA
Charles Catteau
Art Deco/Jazz Age jug – Pickard
1920
Charles Catteau & Boch Frères Keramis
1927
Josephine Baker at the Folies Bergere,Paris
1926
Jamaican Pottery vase
NooRotic- flickr
Carved lucite and ebony abstract Josephine Baker brooch.
Josephine Baker billboard –‘Paris mes amours’, at the Olympia. Paris
On the streets of Sevres, 1959
Roger Viollet – Getty Images
Josephine Baker with 3 of her 12 adopted children in 1964
Gamma Rapho – Getty Image 111074049
Joesphine Baker Diva Queen at the Lido in Paris, 1973
Photo by Michel Ginfray, GammaRapho – Getty Image
Josephine Baker sculpture by Niki De Saint Phalle
Jazz Bowl-An American Art Deco Icon designed by Cowan Pottery Viktor Schreckengost for Cowan Pottery
Josephine Baker in the 1935 movie ‘Princesse Tam Tam’
Black Thunder poster – Paul Colin
‘Josephine’ statuette – Giuseppe Armani
Art Deco painting with Josephine Baker by Emile Compard
1926
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“When You’re Smiling ( the whole world smiles with you )” – a song off Dr. John’s new album “Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch” and Josephine Baker with her sparkling smile outdazzling her outfits.
Josephine Baker – another elaborate costume
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