Painting of Josephine Baker by Paul Colin, on display as part of the "Jazz Age" exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States.

Paul Colin (1892-1985) was a French poster artist. Born in Nancy, he was fascinated by painting as a child. At the age of 15, he became an apprentice at a print shop and enrolled in Nancy's École des Beaux-Arts when he was 18. There he studied painting under Eugène Vallin. He moved to Paris in 1912, and developed a style of Cubism mingled with Surrealism, caricature, and Jazz Age style. In 1925, he was asked to design a poster for the "Revue Nègre" at the Music Hall des Champs-Élysées. This musical review starred African American singer and dancer Josephine Baker. Colin's poster made him famous.

Colin became Baker's lover. Over the next 40 years, he designed posters, sets, and costumes for the theater as well as book covers and advertisements. Although he produced almost nothing during World War II, he made posters promoting the Resistance after 1944.

This 1930 painting, titled "Columbia", is of gouache and crayon on paper.

1. CMAJazzAge