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 Pauline
Le Goff, ca 1916.
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Pauline Boutal, Eaton's Catalogue Fashion
Illustrator, 1918-1941
by Louise
Duguay
For 23 years, Pauline (Le Goff) Boutal
(1894-1992) worked
as a fashion illustrator at Brigdens of Winnipeg, a graphic arts firm
whose main
activity was the illustration of the Eaton's catalogue produced for
its
customers in Western Canada.
Introduction | Brigdens of Winnipeg, a
Graphic
Arts Firm | The Apprenticeship at Brigdens | The
Work Environment | A Creative Team Spirit | Production
of the Catalogue: The Universal Technique of Fashion Illustration | A
Style for Every Season | Following the Trends | Co-operation
between the Members of the Production Team | Patterns
Based
on Catalogue Drawings | Catalogue Design | The
Layout of the Drawings | Conclusion | Further
Reading
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Introduction
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The
Le Goff family, 1910-12. From left to right: Marie, Pauline, Suzanne,
Louise (mother), Antoine, and Jean-François (father).
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Pauline Boutal was born in Lanhouarneau, Brittany, in 1894. In 1907,
she emigrated
to Manitoba with her family. Her father and her grandfather, both of whom
were
stained-glass artists, introduced her to art at a very early age. When she
was
15, she got her first job as an apprentice typographer at Le
Nouvelliste,
a St. Boniface newspaper. Her first caricatures were produced there. In
1911,
she began her studies at the Winnipeg Art Club, followed by courses at the
Winnipeg
School of Art. In 1916-17, she spent 18 months in France, where she
married
Arthur Boutal. Upon her return to Manitoba, she sought work as a fashion
illustrator.
At the beginning of the 20th century, when Pauline Boutal became
interested
in illustration, printed and illustrated materials were flooding the
market.
Today, it is difficult to imagine the extent of the phenomenon. At the
time,
illustrated magazines were as popular as multimedia is today. For Pauline
Boutal,
a career in the graphic arts was a very real possibility, since it was a
field
in which artists (both men and women) earned a good living.
In February 1918, therefore, Pauline Boutal approached Brigdens, a
graphic
arts firm. There is every indication that her portfolio reflected the
illustration
methods employed at the time. The 22-year-old was qualified to be a
fashion illustrator.
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Brigdens of Winnipeg, a Graphic Arts Firm
In 1914, Brigdens, a Toronto firm, opened a branch in Winnipeg to
illustrate
the catalogue produced by Eaton's for its customers in the West. It
was
a monumental task; Brigdens of Winnipeg had to hire 60 to 100 artists as
well
as retain the services of specialized artists in Chicago and New York
City.
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The Apprenticeship at Brigdens
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Pauline
Boutal at work, 1947. From a brochure published by Phillips & Gutkins
and Associates Ltd.
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As a general rule, when Brigdens hired young artists, they had to
acquire
experience before using their talent; in other words, they had to perform
various
duties to climb up the ladder. For example, John Phillips, a colleague
Pauline
Boutal worked with for many years, remembers his early days at the agency.
His
duties consisted of renewing the water used by artists who worked with
watercolours.
Philip Surrey started out as a floor sweeper at the firm in the 1920s.
Pauline
Boutal had the advantage of her artistic training. After a very brief
six-week
apprenticeship, during which she was paid two dollars a week, the young
woman
earned a position among the firm's best artists at a salary of ten
dollars
a week. She was given an office, unlike some of the other artists, whose
workstations
were set up in rows in a common area. The staff at Brigdens called her
Madame
Boutal. That is not surprising, since she was of European origin (French),
Paris
was the world fashion capital, and she had just returned from a trip to
France.
In 1947, when John Phillips launched his own company, Phillips &
Gutkin,
he included a photograph of her in his advertising poster with the
following
caption: "Pauline Boutal: Fashion Consultant." "We felt
that
a person like Madame Boutal gave an art company a certain prestige,"
stated
Phillips.
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The Work Environment
To be among the artists employed by Brigdens was an enriching
experience.
Pauline Boutal stated that she worked with many artists of varying talent,
including
Fritz Brandtner, Charles Comfort, and Eric Bergman. The company's
management
and the artists respected one another. The artists generally worked eight
hours
a day, except during the two intensive periods in which the catalogue was
prepared.
During slow periods, Brigdens paid artists' tuition at the Winnipeg
School
of Art, in an effort to keep its good artists. By doing so, it made sure
that
they remained loyal to the company and would return there enriched by
greater
expertise. For six or seven years, Pauline Boutal took advantage of her
employer's
generous offer.
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A Creative Team Spirit
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Two
of Pauline Boutal's co-workers, 1930-40, pencil on paper.
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Naturally, the creative spirit was not limited to work. According to
some
of the artists, there was a spirit of camaraderie between staff members.
John
Phillips remembers how the artists played football in the hallways.
Barbara Cook
Endres recalls the hockey games played between the rows of drafting
tables. The
artists also liked to play jokes on each other. For example, they took
turns
doing caricatures of one another, not all of which were kind. Phillips
added
that "it was fun at Brigden's, in spite of the heavy work
schedule."
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"Mrs. Boutal leaves for the
Drama Festival!" 1934-38, watercolour on paper. This little cartoon,
probably drawn by Dora Ligertwood Jones whose nickname was Ligie, shows
Pauline Boutal loaded with luggage as she prepares to board a train to
attend a theatre festival.
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Production of the Catalogue: The Universal Technique
of
Fashion Illustration
Pauline Boutal specialized in fashion illustration for women's
clothing
because her technique combined meticulousness and precision, and showed
great
skill in the use of a brush and an expert knowledge of ink drawing.
Women's
silhouettes had to be elegant and their contour had to be well defined by
a strong,
precise line. Characterized by gradations of wash that created shadows,
the drawing
had to sculpt the models in a way that gave the impression of depth. Even
everyday
dresses were presented in an idealized manner and as carefully illustrated
and
coloured as evening dresses.
Pauline Boutal had to follow the standard trends in fashion
illustration;
she had to lengthen the body in the 1 to 8 ratio characteristic of fashion
drawings.
Despite these technical requirements, she had to produce illustrations
that were
realistic, detailed, glamorous, and lively. She had a solid knowledge of
human
anatomy. John Phillips recalls that she did not copy drawings, but rather
created
them from her own imagination. He mentioned that she had a photographic
memory
and could quickly reproduce someone in full movement, simply by looking at
the
person. The street was often a source of inspiration for her fashion
drawings.
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A Style for Every Season
Each new season brought a new style that had to be interpreted in
drawings.
In the 23 years she worked as a fashion illustrator, Pauline Boutal had to
adapt
her drawings to the changing silhouettes of the models. Early in her
career,
in the 1910s, the catalogues featured small models with well-sculpted
bodies.
However, in the 1920s, that changed; models had straight profiles, without
waistlines,
and short, wavy hair. This popular style of illustration featured young
women
with big eyes, small lips carefully shaped like a heart, and carefully
styled
hair. The models also had to look healthy, have a fair, fresh complexion,
and
still look like the girl next door! As for the 1930s woman, she was a
person
of action. Her look was depicted in moving silhouettes in an outdoor
setting.
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Following the Trends
Fashion illustration for catalogues tended to follow the trends in the
major
magazines. As a result, Brigdens placed the most recent fashion magazines
and
various popular magazines at the disposal of its artists who considered
the accessories,
themes, and look of the season before beginning the artistic production of
a
new catalogue. Pauline Boutal, therefore, had to be familiar with the
latest
styles in clothing, hair, makeup, and accessories such as shoes, purses,
and
gloves.
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Co-operation between the Members of the Production
Team
Co-operation between the members of the production team was essential
to the
production of the catalogue. During the intensive periods when it was
being prepared,
the artists shared the responsibility of creating the fashion drawings and
sometimes
even split the drawings among themselves, creating a production line.
Edith Benson
(Bolterill), who worked at the agency with Pauline Boutal in the 1930s,
used
to say that she considered herself very lucky to be able to draw heads
when she
was given the opportunity, since she usually drew only legs, her
specialty. As
for Pauline Boutal, she drew the female silhouettes.
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Patterns Based on Catalogue Drawings
Since the Eaton's catalogue had precise, detailed drawings of the
items
available, consumers could make choices without having to go to the store
to
see the merchandise. In fact, Pauline Boutal and the other artists had to
illustrate
each article of clothing so clearly that a seamstress could have created a
pattern
based on their drawings. It is amusing to note that, in villages where the
Eaton's
catalogue was the only source of merchandise, it was possible to know if a
neighbour
had ordered her new dress from the company. According to reporter John
Brehl,
"Everyone knew what you paid for things, since everyone had an
Eaton's
catalogue. After a wedding or other gathering, women couldn't wait
to get
home to look up the new hats or dresses worn by the other girls."
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Catalogue Design
The artistic director was responsible for the overall design of the
catalogue
and the graphic presentation of each page. Once the layout was determined,
ideas
were communicated to the illustrators and production began.
Each new catalogue had a theme that reflected the era and the season.
For
example, in the 1925 catalogue, the predominant floral theme was
illustrated
using vines and flowers. The geometric theme of the 1927 catalogue was
depicted
using lines and shapes. The Hollywood theme of the 1930s was recreated in
the
publication by showing the silhouettes in bubbles, as movie stars were
presented
at the time, or by adding stars to the backgrounds.
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The Layout of the Drawings
Each page of the catalogue was treated as a poster, and particular
attention
was paid to the black-and-white space, the placement of titles,
descriptions
that were embellished with meticulous calligraphy, the prices, and the
background
drawings. Drawings dominated some pages that featured descriptions of
supplementary
services or advice on the care and purchase of certain articles.
The layout of the drawings showed models of different sizes in various
poses
and arranged harmoniously on the page. At that point in the production,
Pauline
Boutal made numerous small sketches of about five or six centimetres [two
inches]
on tracing paper, sometimes using colleagues as models. She drew
women's
silhouettes, alone or in a group. These occupied the foreground, while a
décor
depicting an idealized scene from daily life (such as a luxurious suburban
home
or a modern downtown building) appeared in the background. She organized
and
reorganized the drawings until she was satisfied with the composition. If
the
artistic director did not like the result, she had to start all over
again. At
the end of the day, the floor was littered with crumpled paper and
rejected drawings.
Communication between the artistic director and the artists was essential.
In
addition, the choice of ideas and themes could take weeks of deliberation,
discussion,
and preliminary drawings. Brigdens' specialized artists wanted to
reproduce
illustrations of the highest quality. Eaton's was justifiably proud
of
its catalogue.
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Conclusion
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Pauline
Boutal at her drafting table, 1950.
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The success of Brigdens of Winnipeg and its important contract with
Eaton's
for the production of its catalogue allowed Pauline Boutal to distinguish
herself
as an artist and to pursue a career as a fashion illustrator over a period
of
23 years. Pauline Boutal considered herself "lucky" to have
spent
those years at the agency: "I worked as a fashion illustrator in the
production
of the Eaton's catalogue, which allowed me to liberate my
art." (Transl.)
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Further Reading
Baker, Marilyn. The Winnipeg School of Art: The Early Years.
Published
for Gallery 1.1.1./ School of Art. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press,
1984.
Bocquel, Bernard. "Pauline Boutal, artiste-peintre, poète
des
couleurs: Entre nous II. " La Liberté (St.
Boniface), January
23, 1974, p. 9.
Brehl, John. "Centennial Story: Eaton's, Canada's
Family
Store." Winnipeg Tribune, February 22, 1969, p. 51.
De Roussan, Jacques. Philip Surrey. Panorama Collection.
Montreal:
Lidec, 1968.
Interviews with Marilyn Baker (1998) and John Phillips (1997).
Ruttan, Susan. "At 80, Madame Boutal Still a Working
Artist."
Winnipeg Tribune, July 24, 1976, p. B.362.
The 1927 Edition of the T. Eaton Co. Limited Catalogue for Spring
and
Summer. Introduction by Jack Stoddart. Toronto: Musson Book Co.,
1971.
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