7e Exposition du Salon des Cents Poster by Frederic-Auguste Cazals, Lithograph from Les Maîtres de L’Affiche
Art and Decorative
£350.00
Until the mid-19th Century, printed advertising posters tended to be predominantly text-only. During the second half of the 19th Century however, artists began to see new possibilities in the poster medium, linking imagery to modern commerce. By the 1890s, the streets of every great city were emblazoned with large and colourful posters. These not only caught the attention of the public, but the best examples were regarded as true works of art (specifically, as fine prints) to be exhibited, reviewed in journals, collected and reproduced. The spirit of the Belle Époque had given birth to a new artistic movement and in Paris, Jules Chéret, (1836-1932) paved the way for the poster industry, opening his own printing business, Imprimerie Chaix in 1866.
Chéret published smaller chromolithographic versions (in authentic colours) of 256 of the most highly regarded posters of the day, created by 97 artists including Alphonse Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Pierre Bonnard. Every month from December 1895 to November 1900, subscribers received a wrapped parcel containing four consecutively numbered poster reproductions, often with a bonus plate of a specially created lithograph, creating one of the most influential art publications in history; the suite entitled Les Maîtres de L’Affiche – “The Masters of the Poster”.
“The 7th Exhibition of the Salon des Cent” (Plate 15) was created by Frédéric-Auguste Cazals (1865–1941), a French writer and illustrator. He was a close friend of late 19th Century France’s “Prince of Poets”, Paul Verlaine, who is pictured on the left of this poster. Le Salon des Cent (“Salon of the One Hundred”) was a commercial art exhibition based at 31 Rue Bonaparte in Paris which sold colour posters, prints and reproductions of artwork to the public at reasonable prices. It became known for its exhibitions showcasing the works of contemporary graphic artists and many of the posters advertising Salon des Cent exhibitions have, like this one, become collectors’ items.
Original stone lithograph, 1896. Blind stamp “Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, Imprimerie Chaix” on the bottom right corner. Framed and mounted.
Framed dimensions:
Height: 48 cm (approximately 18.75 inches)
Width: 36 cm (approximately 14.25 inches)
