My girlfriend adores Mickey Mouse, so I was thinking of buying this art print for her (linked below from ebay) and have it framed as something special for her birthday in a few weeks. Being the pop culture icon he is, I'm aware of some Mickey art from the likes of Peter Max and Andy Warhol, and I wanted to get her something that was a bit more "grown up" than your standard kiddie Mickey.
You can see it here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=144&item=6500862690&rd=1
Which leads me to several questions, based on the seller's description:
1. He says the Mickey is drawn in a sort of Belle Epoque style...what exactly defines Belle Epoque? Am I right in thinking it's that vintage style where you often see planes, boats, etc, from the early 20th century?
2. This is an art print - what difference is there really between a so-called art-print and a garden variety poster? Is it the printing technique, heavier paper, or...? Also, part of the heading says "Disney art lithograph"....is an art print really a lithograph?
3. Don't speak a word of French - I know "chapeaux" is something akin to hat, but what is the meaning of that phrase in the print, "Chapeaux Mousesant"? I did a search of the word chapeaux at
www.allposters.com (where that mickey print is also available) and came upon what seems to be a very popular vintage poster with the words "Chapeaux Mossant" on it. So apparently, it's meant to be some kind of fun wordplay based on that other print. Can't display the link because it won't let me, but you'll see it if you write the word at allposters.com.
4. Just as a subjective opinion poll...do you like the print? What do you think of it as a gift?
Thanks so much for your input! Cheers...!