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Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryEllen Welch
Paul Vera (1882-1957) was a French painter, woodcutter, illustrator, garden designer and decorator. Andre Vera (1881-1971) was a French garden theorist and town planner. The two brothers were both educated in Paris and were considered pioneers of Art Deco. Paul Vera usually created the the designs and ground plans for his brother's ideas, with numerous book illustrations and woodcuts. In 1912 the brothers published their famous garden book "Le Nouveau Jardin." That same year, Paul also accepted the invitation of Franz Marc to participate in the second exhibition of the "Blaue Reiter" in Munich. Paul worked as a decorator for the Companie des Arts Francais ater World War I. His designs and drawings for furniture, wallpaper, fabric patterns and tapestries have been well-preserved. A large part of his oeuvre can be found at the Municipal Museum of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Three characteristic ground plans of an Art Déco "Love Garden," with symmetrically arranged flower and topiary beds. Mixed media of watercolor and gouache over pencil and black ink on glassine and wove paper. (1910) A densely planted border of trees surrounds the garden on three sides. The entrance is located at the bottom edge of the drawing and leads towards a mansion in the center.