Friday 23 September 2016

Belle Époque - part 3

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 3 of a 9-part series on art of the Belle Epoque. For more works in the series see parts 1 and 2 also.


CHARLES LÉVY

I could find no information on the life of Charles Lévy:


1882-88 Hippodrome, La Chasse
poster by Charles Lévy

1883 Hippodrome, Ling-Look
poster by Charles Lévy

1885 Ambassadeurs, Vanoni
poster by Charles Lévy

1885 Cirque d'Été
poster by Charles Lévy

1885 Divan Japonais
poster by Charles Lévy

1885 Hippodrome, Jenny O'Brien et ses Pigeons
poster by Charles Lévy

1885 L'Anonsa
poster by Charles Lévy

1885 Ransard
poster by Charles Lévy

1888 Alcazar d'Été, Anna Thibaut
poster by Charles Lévy

1888 Folies-Bergère Original's, Huline Brothers
poster by Charles Lévy

1889 Ambassadeurs, Brunin
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Alcazar d'Été, Valti
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Ambassadeurs, Duclerc
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Ambassadeurs, Frou-Frou
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Ambassadeurs, Macaronada
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Ambassadeurs, Polaire
poster by Charles Lévy

Polaire ( Emilie Marie Bouchaud )

1890 Ambassadeurs, Saker Brothers
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Concert de la Pépinière
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Eldorado, Bonnaire
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Eugénie Fougère
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Horloge, Eugénie Fougére
poster by Charles Lévy
Eugénie Fougére

1890 Horloge
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Jardin de Paris, la belle Irene
poster by Charles Lévy

La Belle Irène

1890 La Lance
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Miss Gicka
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Moulin Rouge, M.elle Pétrescu
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Valérie Léotti
poster by Charles Lévy

1890 Valti
poster by Charles Lévy

1892 Fête des Fleurs
poster by Charles Lévy

1895 Roskoff
poster by Charles Lévy

Menus-Plaisirs, Emilienne d'Alençon
poster by Charles Lévy


Emilienne d'Alencon


PAUL ÉMILE BERTHON

Paul Émile Berthon ( 1972-1909 ) was a French artist who mainly produced posters and lithographs. He studied as a painter in Villefranche-sur-Saône before moving to Paris. He later enroled at the École Normale d'Enseignement de Dessin and received lessons from Luc-Olivier Merson. His study of the decorative arts influenced his print-making, shown by the strong lines and natural details.


1895 Salon des 100
poster by Paul Berthon

1896 Almanac of Alsace and Lorraine
by Paul Berthon

1896 Tisane Gauloise
poster by Paul Berthon

1897 L'Ermitagelithograph in four colours
by Paul Berthon


1898 Femme de Profil
lithograph 25.4 x 33.2 cm
by Paul Berthon

1898 Mandore
lithograph 48.9 x 64.1 cm
by Paul Berthon

1899 Les Pipeaux
lithograph 65 x 51.5 cm
by Paul Berthon

1899 Societe des Amis des Arts de la Manche
poster by Paul Berthon

1899 The Son of the Virgin (decorative wall panel)
by Paul Berthon

1899 The Wave (decorative wall panel)
by Paul Berthon

1900 Geneviève Williams
poster by Paul Berthon

1900 Jane Othello
poster by Paul Berthon

1900 Les Eglantines
lithograph 38.7 x 53.3 cm
by Paul Berthon

1900c Poster for Salon des Arts Libéraux
lithograph 
by Paul Berthon

1901 Sarah Bernhardt as Mélissinde in La Princesse Lointaine
lithograph 51.7 x 36 cm
by Paul Berthon

Sarah Bernhardt

Folies Bergère, Liane de Pougy
by Paul Berthon

Les Boules de Niege
lithograph 
by Paul Berthon

Sa très gracieuse Majesté la Reine Wilhelmine
 lithograph on wove paper 38.7 x 36.1 cm
by Paul Berthon