George Barbier, “Minuit! ou l’appartement à la mode” from Le bonheur du jour ou Les graces à la mode, Paris: Chez Meynial, 1924 George Barbier (1882-1932) is considered one of the finest illustrators in the Art Deco genre. With a distinctive elegance and simplicity, he captured the mood and atmosphere of his time. Barbier was successful in a multitude of visual disciplines, including fashion illustration and advertising graphics, as well as poster, textile and wallpaper design. Influences on his work included the Orientalism and bright coloring of Léon Bakst’s costumes for Schéhérazade, Aubrey Beardsley’s Japanese-inspired serpentine line, Chinese lacquers, classical imagery from Greek vase painting, and 18th-century painting and decorative art.