ART & ARTISTS: Belle Époque

Tuesday, 4 October 2016

Belle Époque - part 7

The Belle Époque (the Beautiful Period) in France is conventionally dated from the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 to the the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was a period characterised by optimism, regional peace and economic prosperity, and of technological, scientific, and cultural innovation. Whilst showing key works from the Belle Epoque, I am including works from the fall-out of the period almost up to World War II, so as to put these works in context.

Artists in the late 1800s found opportunities to present their work to the masses through advertising art that began to appear as billboards and posters, plastering the streets of Paris. “Affiche Artistique” was the term that the French used to describe a poster that contained artistic expression. The art was so impressive to the public, people began to collect the posters as soon as they went up, which is why they are so scarce today.

Artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Chéret, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, and Alfred Choubrac, contributed to the creative body of work that became what some called “a free museum for the masses”. The craze for collecting these examples of modern art was even given the name, "affichomanie", meaning “artistic poster mania”. Collectors today pay hundreds, if not thousands for original prints of these rare posters.

This is part 7 of a 9-part series on art of the Belle Epoque. For more works in the series see parts 1 - 6 also.

JULES CHÉRET ( 1836 - 1932 ) part 3:

See parts 5 and 6 for earlier works by Jules Chéret.

1906 Fêtes de Nice
artwork by Jules Chéret

1906 Fêtes de Nice
poster by Jules Chéret

1914 Exposition Internationale de Lyon
poster by Jules Chéret

Alcazar d'Éte, Revue Fin de Siècle
poster by Jules Chéret

Benzo-Moteur
poster by Jules Chéret

Chemin de Fer PLM, Auvergne
poster by Jules Chéret

Cosmydor Savon
poster by Jules Chéret

Folies-Bergere, Le Miroir
poster by Jules Chére

Folies-Bergère, Les Hanlon-Lees
poster by Jules Chéret

Les Hanlon-Lees (William and Frederick Hanlon-Lees

Folies-Bergère, La Belle Otero (Carolina Otera)
poster by Ateliers Chéret

La Belle Otero (Carolina Otera)

Folies-Bergère, Les Garetta
poster by Jules Chéret

Folies-Bergère, Les Girard
poster by Jules Chéret

L'Horloge, Champs Elysées, Les Girard
poster by Jules Chéret

Folies-Bergère, Léonati, Vélocipediste
poster by Jules Chéret

L'Amant des Danseuses
poster by Jules Chéret

Félicien Champsaur

l'Etendard Français, Bicyclettes et Tricycles
poster by Jules Chéret

La Bodiniére
poster by Jules Chéret

La Danseuse de Corde, Félicia Mallet
poster by Jules Chére

Félicia Mallet (Mime artist)

Le Pays des Fées, Jardin Enchanté
poster by Jules Chéret

Le Rappel
poster by Jules Chéret

Leona Dare
poster by Jules Chéret

Leona Dare

Musée Grévin, Les Coulisses de l'Opera
poster by Jules Chéret

Orphée aux Enfers, J. Offenbach
poster by Jules Chéret

Skating-Theatre, Bal Masqué
poster by Jules Chéret

* * * * *

L'Hippodrome, Boulevard de Clichy

La Folie-Pigalle
poster by Weiluc (Lucien-Henri Weil)

La Ghanteuse Parisienne, Armand 'Ary

Armand 'Ary

La Loïe Fuller aux Folies Bergère
poster by Ferdinand Bac

La Loïe Fuller

La Loïe Fuller, Salomé
poster by Georges de Feure

La Loïe Fuller

Moulin de La Galette, Bal
poster by Tony M.

Moulin Rouge
poster by Auguste Roedel

Moulin Rouge, Spectacle - Concert - Bal
poster by Jose Belon

Louis Gaudin (Zig) (1882-1936)

Louis Gaudin was a French poster artist and costume designer. He began his career in the United States drawing costume musicals designs for Broadway productions (Keep Kool, 1924).