« Esso »

While Jean Jacquelin is known for having designed dust jackets for numerous editions published by Presses de la Cité, he was also, and above all, a celebrated poster artist. Artistic director of the Step agency from 1929, he produced numerous film posters from 1940 onward while continuing his work as a commercial illustrator across many sectors: automobiles (Peugeot, Delage, Simca, Buick, Fiat), energy (Antar, Esso, Shell), print media and publishing (Paris-Soir, L’Intransigeant, Éditions Froissart, Presses de la Cité), fashion (Scandale, Magasin Le Printemps), brands and events (Crédit Foncier, 24 Heures du Mans, Coop, Vittel, Casino d’Enghien, Brandt, Champagne Mercier, Semaine du cinéma, Les Châteaux de la Loire), and tourism and travel (Air France, Aéropostale, Compagnie Transatlantique).

A major exhibition was devoted to him in 1993 at the Bibliothèque Forney, accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue (Jean Jacquelin, affichiste et dessinateur publicitaire; exhibition at the Bibliothèque Forney, April 29–May 28, 1993).

Esso is a brand associated with the American oil company ExxonMobil: in 1911, the breakup of Standard Oil, founded by John D. Rockefeller, led to the formation of 34 independent companies (Mobil, Chevron, and others), some of which retained the right to use the Standard Oil name, which gradually became Esso (a phonetic contraction of “S.O.” and an acronym of the historic name Eastern States Standard Oil). The Esso oval became the group’s emblem in 1939, and the network expanded across France after the war; in 1972, the brand reverted to the Exxon name in the United States, but retained the Esso name for the rest of the world.

A unique, signed piece, in fine condition.