Docteur Pierre’s Toothpaste

Boutet De Monvel (1895-1927)

Docteur Pierre’s Toothpaste

Lithograph

A highly-regarded posterist, Boutet De Monvel was a master impressionist painter, illustrator, ceramicist and designer.

With his soft, pastel-like browns and yellows, this poster was exhibited in Étienne Moreau-Nélaton’s, a prominent art historian and collector, second exhibition of Women’s Art. On display in 1894, Monvel’s poster was singled out for praise by Maindron, an employee of the French Institute and a significant figure-head for poster collecting, who noted how the work was “delightful” and stylistically pleasing.

Salle du Figaro

Fernand-Louis Gottlob (1873-1935)

Salle du Figaro

Lithograph

Fernand-Louis Gottlob worked as a portraitist, graphic artist, and book illustrator. In 1891, he began to exhibit in the official Salons and by 1897 he worked as a caricaturist for illustrated papers in Paris. He was particularly known for his humorous illustrations.

The scene is a gallery interior where Gottlob placed the woman in front of a large window. Through dramatic backlight, there is emphasis on the dark form. The crisp outlines of the plumed hat, the woman’s delicate features, and the print she examines dominate the composition. The stylized lettering announcing the exhibition enlivens the surface of the work.

Comiot Motorcycles

Theophile Steinlen (1859-1923)

Comiot Motorcycles

Lithograph

Born in Switzerland, Steinlen studied art at University of Lausanne. In 1882, he moved to Paris and worked as an illustrator. He became famous for his posters of cabaret and music hall performers.

Advertising its new, two-wheeled transport vehicle, The Comiot firm used this poster to entice the younger generation. Amusingly, the frightened geese fleeing from the newest addition to their natural landscape compares what happens when progress intrudes on rustic tranquility. From the set expression of the young rider, her determination is clear: she will maneuver through the park wherever she pleases. Steinlen didn’t attempt to sell the technical details of the motorcycle, instead he sold an anecdote in graphic terms.

Special Plate 9

Jules Chéret (1836-1932)

Special Plate 9

Lithograph

Father of the modern poster and creator of the Les Maitres de l’ Affiche collection, Chéret and his ‘Cherettes’ or free-spirited females depicted in his posters, became the main focus of his artistic style. In 1890, he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur by the French Government which cited him as the creator of an art industry by the application of the art to commercial and industrial printing.

An original design, this poster illustrates a lovely lady playing music. Her pose and facial expression are synonymous with the charming ladies that grace his marvelous posters. Even without color, Chéret creates an atmosphere of lively music that exudes forth from this simple composition.

Casino d’Enghein

Jules Chéret (1836-1932)

Casino d’Enghein

Lithograph

Father of the modern poster and creator of the Les Maitres de l’ Affiche collection, Chéret and his ‘Cherettes’ or free-spirited females depicted in his posters, became the main focus of his artistic style. In 1890, he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French Government which cited him as the creator of an art industry by the application of the art to commercial and industrial printing.

Chéret’s poster for the Casino d’Engheim was for a charity ball to benefit the victims of a fire at Fort-de- France. A fanciful design showing a brightly clad child, beckoning us to follow her, as she, her mother, and her friends bounce happily along on toy horses against a backdrop of exploding fireworks in the night sky.

Harper’s May

Edward Penfield (1866-1925)

Harper’s May

Lithograph

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Edward Penfield decided to carry on in his Uncle Henry’s footsteps and become artist. In 1891, his first published work appeared in Harper’s Weekly. From the notoriety, Penfield was hired onto the paper and later became the head of Harper & Brother’s art department, which incorporated: Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Harper’s Weekly, Harper’s Bazar, and Harper’s Young People.

Never seeming to run out of fresh ideas, Penfield created a new poster for every month’s issue. For the month of May, a woman holds two pampered Angora cats who rejoice in the attention. The image has an extraordinary domestic charm and remains one of the most highly sought after among collectors of American poster art.

Divan Japonais

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Divan Japonais

Lithograph

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, whose large, colorful posters were a familiar sight in Paris in the 1890s and remain popular to this day, has become a symbol of the Belle Époque. A man of aristocratic background, he was a constant presence in the popular cafés, concert halls, and brothels of Montmartre as he sought escape from the despair brought on by physical handicaps. He also circulated freely among artists and intellectuals of the day.

Divan Japonais was one of the many café-concerts in late nineteenth-century Paris frequented by Toulouse- Lautrec. His poster advertising the nightspot features two of his favorite Montmartre stars, Yvette Guilbert and Jane Avril. Here, Avril is a spectator, not a performer, as she sits in the foreground. On the stage in the upper left corner, the headless body of Guilbert is recognizable by her trademark long black gloves and gaunt physique.

L’arc En Ciel

Jules Chéret (1836-1932)

L’arc En Ciel

Lithograph

Father of the modern poster and creator of the Les Maitres de l’ Affiche collection, Chéret and his ‘Cherettes’ or free-spirited females depicted in his posters, became the main focus of his artistic style. In 1890, he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French Government which cited him as the creator of an art industry by the application of the art to commercial and industrial printing.

For this ballet poster, Chéret used three stones to color the L’Arc en Ciel, or rainbow. Hosted at the Folies Bergere, the music hall has existed for over 100 years. Still famous for its splendid decorations and costumes, the institution offered prevalent ballets, dramas, and plays. The Folies Bergere quickly acquired a legendary reputation and became particularly popular with visitors from the puritan, Anglo-Saxon world.

JOB

Jules Chéret (1836-1932)

JOB

Lithograph

Father of the modern poster and creator of the Les Maitres de l’ Affiche collection, Chéret and his ‘Cherettes’ or free-spirited females depicted in his posters, became the main focus of his artistic style. In 1890, he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French Government which cited him as the creator of an art industry by the application of the art to commercial and industrial printing.

This is one of Chéret’s best known creations for JOB cigarette papers. It has been noted that the defiant gesture of the emancipated woman shares a resemblance to the French singer and actress, Yvette Guilbert.

7th Exposition du Salon des Cent

Frédéric-Auguste Cazals (1865-1941)

7th Exposition du Salon des Cent

Lithograph

A French visual artist, Frédéric-Auguste Cazals has exhibited in several gallery and museum shows in Paris.

Depicting poets Paul Verlaine and Jean Moreas, Cazals memorializes friends and colleagues through the usage of his creativity. Constructed for the Salon des Cent, this work was part of a subscription series, where collectors could receive reproductions from the Les Maitres de l’ Affiche for 60 months.

Mothu and Doria

Theophile Steinlen (1859-1923)

Mothu and Doria

Lithograph

Born in Switzerland, Steinlen studied art at University of Lausanne. In 1882, he moved to Paris and worked as an illustrator. He became famous for his posters of cabaret and music hall performers.

Steinlen’s poster for the two singers, Mothu and Doria, gives a delicate hint of the social tension of the period. There is still, of course, no social unrest. There appears to be no top or bottom to society but only a coexistence of opposites. This poster demonstrates the true genius of Steinlen’s ability to observe and then communicate with graphic excellence. With the text almost secondary, he is able to convey, with great draftsmanship, a slice of reality on a dark street of Paris in its prime.

Elèctricine

Lucien Lefèvre (1850-1902)

Elèctricine

Lithograph

Little is known about the life of Lucien Lefèvre. In 1872 and 1873, he exhibited in the Salon des Indépendants and was greatly influenced by Chéret. Later, he became a pupil of Chéret and began working in lithography at Imprimerie Chaix. He remained active as an artist until 1902, then disappeared altogether.

In this poster for the Elèctricine luxury lighting company, Lefévre creates a design worthy of his mentor. Reminiscent of Chéret’s famous Saxolèine series in its composition, Lefévre takes a subtler approach, emphasizing the product, the lamp, and its glowing light against an elegant model.

Centennial of Lithograph

Hugo d’Alesi (1849-1906)

Centennial of Lithograph

Lithograph

Among the designers who did travel posters, d’Alesi was not only the most prolific, but the most meticulous. He insisted on making the printer use more plates than customary, sometimes as many as twenty, to create the perfect scene.

In 1895 lithography was the subject of a centennial exhibition, for which d’Alesi did a promotional poster. He chose a familiar theme, that of a smartly dressed lady looking at prints. He drew more attention than usual to the prints themselves, giving enough detail so that the styles can be identified. The lady is a customer at an outdoor print booth, and the one she is admiring is a poster by Chéret. The poster was well enough admired to be included in the Les Maitres de l’ Affiche series in 1897.

Society of Painters

Charles Herbert Woodbury (1864-1940)

Society of Painters

Lithograph

Charles Herbert Woodbury was an American painter and printmaker. Born in Lynn, MA in 1886, Woodbury received a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and then established a studio in Boston. Although known as a painter and a printmaker, Woodbury was interested in art education and, in 1898, established a summer art school in Ogunquit, ME. In 1940, Woodbury died in Boston, MA.

The rich effect of his poster design was conveyed by the disposition of sharp lines and flat areas with limited color. Woodbury founded his sense of design on familiarity with Japanese art. Woodbury’s posters received favorable comments from American and European critics.

Absinthe Robette

Henri Privat-Livemont (1861-1936)

Absinthe Robette

Lithograph

Livemont was the foremost Belgian practitioner of the Nouveau style. He was a skilled lithographer and was known for his evident quality through the subtle color gradations and detail in his sensual posters.

Absinthe, a potent drink made from wormwood, was sometimes referred to as “the green fairy” for its color and hallucinogenic properties. Therefore, the green tinge across the whole design represents the intoxicating effects. The veiled woman seems to be checking the mixed drink for color and texture. By its immense beauty and its infamous product, this particular poster became one of the most sought after in the Les Maitres de l’ Affiche series.

Fete de Charite des Etudiantes

Georges Gros (19 th century)

Fete de Charite des Etudiantes

Lithograph

To satisfy the need for short and light works, operetta grew out of the French opéra comique around the middle of the nineteenth century. This promotional poster announces a Fetes de Charite des Etudiants, or Student Charity Celebration, for the operetta, Don Quixote.

In the work, protagonist Alonso Quixano reads an abundance of chivalric romances and loses his sanity. He decides to become a knight-errant under the name of Don Quixote de la Mancha and creates his own noble quests.

Werther: Theater National De L’Opera Comique

Eugene Grasset (1841-1917)

Werther: Theater National De L’Opera Comique

Lithograph

Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Grasset became a French citizen in 1891. While in France, he studied architecture and became an avid traveler. Proceeding his trip to Egypt, he settled in Paris as a fabric designer. Finding successes in his newfound career, Grasset founded a school of decorative arts which taught: stamp design, book binding, typefaces, furniture, and stained glass.

Based on Goethe’s famous novel, Sorrows of a Young Werther, the story turned the then twenty-four- year-old Goethe into a national celebrity overnight. However, the book reputedly led to some of the first known examples of “copycat suicide,” which entailed depressed gentlemen dressing similar to Werther and using a comparable pistol.

Penelope

Georges Antoine Rochegrosse (1859-1938)

Penelope

Lithograph

Born in Versaolles, France, Rochegrosse was abandoned by his father but artistically flourished under the guidance of his stepfather. At twelve, Rochegrosse began his education at l’Academie Julian in Paris. In 1883, Rochegrosse won the Prix du Salon which enabled him to travel to Italy. Inspired by Italian culture, Rochegrosse began to incorporate his experience into his work.

This poster promotes the operetta Penelope, which is a story taken from the second half of Homer’s Odyssey. After his long journey home from the Trojan War, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, returns to his kingdom. He finds a trio of villainous suitors that are importuning his faithful queen, Penelope. With the assistance of the gods, his son Telemachus, and two servants, Eumaeus and Philoetius, Odysseus vanquishes the suitors and recovers his kingdom.

Mam’zelle Boy-Scout: Theatre de la Renaissance

Henri Gray (1858-1924)

Mam’zelle Boy-Scout: Theatre de la Renaissance

Lithograph

Gray was a prolific poster designer working regularly in all fields of advertising. Overall, his posters reflect a classic and realistic style but there are a few extravagant exceptions. There has been much speculation about Gray’s identity; however, the catalog of the Bibliotheque Nationale states “Gray” was a pseudonym of the Parisian caricaturist, Boulanger.

The center figure of the poster is wearing high-heel pumps and saluting the viewer. Prominently standing out, she complements the multiple fonts of articulate text. Additionally, the artist masterfully includes several detailed sketches that depict scenes of the plot.

Gismonda

Georges Antoine Rochegrosse (1859-1938)

Gismonda

Lithograph

Born in Versaolles, France, Rochegrosse was abandoned by his father but artistically flourished under the guidance of his stepfather. At twelve, Rochegrosse began his education at l’Academie Julian in Paris. In 1883, Rochegrosse won the Prix du Salon which enabled him to travel to Italy. Inspired by Italian culture, Rochegrosse began to incorporate his experience into his works.

The poster, whose haunting blues intensify the tragedy of the scene, shows Gismonda about to kill the treacherous courtier, Zacaria, who has plotted to kill her son and lover.

Le Fetiche

Anonymous (19th Century)

Le Fetiche

Lithograph

This theatre advertising poster is for the operetta, Le Fetiche, with music by Victor Roger, was performed at the Theatre des Menus-Plaisirs, in Paris.

Panurge: Theatre Lyrique Municipal

Charles-Lucien Leandre (1862-1934)

Panurge: Theatre Lyrique Municipal

Lithograph

Born in Normandy, Leandre began his career in Paris painting decorative pictures for hotels before studying at the Beaux-Arts. He lived and worked in Montmarte and did illustrations and caricatures for the periodical, Le Rire. After his death, a street was named after him in Montmarte and a statue of him was erected in Paris.

Pamurge, based on characters and situations in Rabelais’ Pantagruel, had its premiere eight months after Massenet’s death. The role of Panurge was sung by Vanni Marcoux.

Le Chevalier D’ Eon

François & Victor Clerice

Le Chevalier D’ Eon

Lithograph

Working at their father’s printing company, François & Victor made illustrations for many popular periodicals and comic strips geared toward young readers. Later, the brothers published works for the Larousse publishing house and two books on L’Affaire du Courrier de Lyon. Together, they printed over 580 individual works.

Le Chevalier D’ Eon is based on an actual eighteenth- century diplomat. He is sent to the court of Catherine the Great as an “ambassadress” and must wear women’s clothing for his official appearance.

Monsieur Lohengrin

Henri Bergé (1870-1937)

Monsieur Lohengrin

Lithograph

On completion of his studies at the Nancy School of Fine Arts, Henri Bergé worked as a decorator at the Daum glass company in 1895. In conjunction to his glasswork, Bergé was an accomplished illustrator who produced numerous menus, posters and advertisements. He also produced several ads in stained glass for the local park, Cure d’Air.

Lohengrin, is a Romantic opera composed and written by Richard Wagner. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance work, Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach. In this modern rendition, Lohengrin, the son of Parzival, is sent to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity.

Claudine: Operette Theatre de Moulin-Rouge

François & Victor Clerice

Claudine: Operette Theatre de Moulin-Rouge

Lithograph

Working at their father’s printing company, François & Victor made illustrations for many popular periodicals and comic strips geared toward young readers. Later, the brothers published works for the Larousse publishing house and two books on L’Affaire du Courrier de Lyon. Together, they printed over 580 individual works.

Snails are creeping out of books while Claudine, brought to Paris by her preoccupied father, who is writing scholarly work on snails, surveys characters in the operetta.

Rudge Cycles

Jean de (Pal) Paleologue (1855-1942)

Rudge Cycles

Lithograph

Jean de (Pal) Paleologue was a Romanian poster artist, painter, and illustrator, who often used Pal or PAL as his signature or logo. In the early 1900’s Paleologue made an abrupt move to the United States. For the remainder of his life, he worked in applied graphics for magazines, ads, film and animation industries. He died in Miami, FL at the age of 82.

The bicycle was a major social force in the 1890’s. It not only gave people individual mobility but it was an important step in women’s emancipation. With one ride, a young girl could escape the obtrusive presence of her elderly chaperone and free herself from the confines of Victorian restraint.

Phebus Auto

Anonymous

Phebus Auto

Lithograph

Taking its name from Phoebus, the Greek God who drove the sun across the heavens each day, Phebus motor vehicles were built between 1899 and 1903 by Noe Boyer & Cie in the Parisian suburb of Suresnes. Initially Phebus offered tricycles fitted with various proprietary engines, one of which was ridden by Charles Jarrott at a breakneck speed of 39mph on the Crystal Palace Velodrome, near London. The great French rider Beconnais also won the prestigious Coupe des Motocycles de l’ACF in 1899 on a Phebus bicyclette, covering 100km in 1hr 46mins.

Imprimez Eyquem

Jean de (Pal) Paleologue (1855-1942)

Imprimez Eyquem

Lithograph

Jean de (Pal) Paleologue was a Romanian poster artist, painter, and illustrator, who often used Pal or PAL as his signature or logo. In the early 1900’s Paleologue made an abrupt move to the United States. For the remainder of his life, he worked in applied graphics for magazines, ads, film and animation industries. He died in Miami, FL at the age of 82.

Advertising a woman young working in an office, she uses an Eyquem printing machine to quickly make 3000 copies of a document. Dressed in her work outfit and hand raised victoriously, she portrays the modernization of the female role in Victorian society.

Fete de Neuilly

Ferdinand (Mifliez) Misti (1865-1923)

Fete de Neuilly

Lithograph

Misti is the pseudonym of Ferdinand Mifliez, who worked in the Imprimereie Chaix, Chéret’s printing plant, from 1894 to 1914. Although an accomplished painter who exhibited regularly in the Parisian salons, Misti was well-known for his poster designs.

He settled permanently in Neuilly, and produced several posters for the town’s annual 3-week festivals. This Fete de Neuilly is one of the most charming versions: two sweet young ladies with sunflowers and an avid pursuer who is trying to make up his mind which one of them might be more likely to succumb to his monocle handsomeness.

Source des Roches

Paul Emile Berthon (1872-1909)

Source des Roches

Lithograph

The lithographs of Paul Emile Berthon stand at the center of our interpretation of Art Nouveau grace and beauty. Despite his very short life, it is impossible not to rank Berthon among the greatest masters of this entire turn-of-the-century movement.

This poster was created for Source des Roches, or delicious table water. It was printed and published by Imprimereie Chaix, owned by Jules Chéret. Key elements in Berthon’s style are cultivated through his study of Japanese woodcuts and his attention to the art of the natural world.

Lorenzaccio

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939)

Lorenzaccio

Lithograph

A Czechoslovakian Art Nouveau artist, Mucha pioneered a sensuous, ornate style replete in stained glass colors, elaborately curving lines and ethereal women. Realizing that living people created the art he admired in churches, Mucha became inspired to paint. Moving to Paris, he was initially the archetypical starving artist, until Sarah Bernhardt asked him to create a poster for the play, Gismonda. The life-size poster was a sensation and Bernhardt signed him to a six-year contract.

This poster advertised the play Lorenzaccio, written by Alfred de Musset. The character of Lorenzaccio was based on Lorenzo the Magnificent, a member of the Medici family who ruled the city-state of Florence in the Renaissance period. The title role was played by the actress Sarah Bernhardt, and it is her figure that is seen in this poster. She is dressed in a sumptuous black period costume, with a dagger hanging from her belt, holding a book. Lorenzaccio is lost in thought, pondering how to save Florence from a power-hungry conqueror.

Flirt Biscuits

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939)

Flirt Biscuits

Lithograph

A Czechoslovakian Art Nouveau artist, Mucha pioneered a sensuous, ornate style replete in stained glass colors, elaborately curving lines and ethereal women. Realizing that living people created the art he admired in churches, Mucha became inspired to paint. Moving to Paris, he was initially the archetypical starving artist, until Sarah Bernhardt asked him to. create a poster for the play, Gismonda. The life-size poster was a sensation and Bernhardt signed him to a six-year contract.

Lefèvre Utile, better known worldwide by the initials LU, is a manufacturer brand of French biscuits, emblematic of the city of Nantes. The company called on Mucha to create their advertisement posters. Depicting a romantic scene of a well-appointed couple, the suggestive image was used as to promote the “Flirt” biscuit brand.

Katabexine

Leonetto Cappiello (1875-1942)

Katabexine

Lithograph

Born in Tuscany, Cappiello mainly lived and worked in Paris. He had no formal art training, but is often called ‘the father of modern advertising’ because of his innovation in poster design.

The woman advertising Katabexine appears to be in superb health, a state obviously brought about by the use of the product in her hand. Katabexine, an effervescent tablet, was recommended for all types of cough as well as for bronchitis and asthma. The elegant drawing, with bright primary colors contrasted against a black background, contains elements of Cappiello’s style that insured excellent visibility of his posters, even from a long distance, making them especially effective when mounted on exterior walls.

Activities are made possible in part by the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.