Colette Mars

Composition is everything in this deceivingly complex image by Jean-Gabriel Domergue for chanteuse Colette Mars and her music label, Columbia Records. Colette stares down at us, her gaze fixed. Shoulders back, neck long, she is confident and alluring. She appears to us mid-performance, with her elegantly gloved arms outstretched, her hips moving and her scarf whipping around her neck. It is an elegant image with timeless appeal. Colette Mars (1916 - 1995) was born Nicole Huot in Morocco. After emigrating to France, she began her career in the cabaret world of Paris. Mars’ career continuously evolved alongside the entertainment industry. By the late 1920s her songs were recorded by Columbia Records and she became well-known throughout France. She transitioned to a career in film by the mid 1930s, and was active in French films through the early 1970s. Jean-Gabriel Domergue (1889 – 1962) created this poster circa 1930. The French painter often described as the "inventor of the pin up