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:
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| 1882-88 Hippodrome, La Chasse poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1883 Hippodrome, Ling-Look poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1885 Ambassadeurs, Vanoni poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1885 Cirque d'Été poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1885 Divan Japonais poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1885 Hippodrome, Jenny O'Brien et ses Pigeons poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1885 L'Anonsa poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1885 Ransard poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1888 Alcazar d'Été, Anna Thibaut poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1888 Folies-Bergère Original's, Huline Brothers poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1889 Ambassadeurs, Brunin poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Alcazar d'Été, Valti poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Ambassadeurs, Duclerc poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Ambassadeurs, Frou-Frou poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Ambassadeurs, Macaronada poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Ambassadeurs, Polaire poster by Charles Lévy |
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| Polaire ( Emilie Marie Bouchaud ) |
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| 1890 Ambassadeurs, Saker Brothers poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Concert de la Pépinière poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Eldorado, Bonnaire poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Eugénie Fougère poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Horloge, Eugénie Fougére poster by Charles Lévy |
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| Eugénie Fougére |
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| 1890 Horloge poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Jardin de Paris, la belle Irene poster by Charles Lévy |
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| La Belle Irène |
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| 1890 La Lance poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Miss Gicka poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Moulin Rouge, M.elle Pétrescu poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Valérie Léotti poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1890 Valti poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1892 Fête des Fleurs poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 1895 Roskoff poster by Charles Lévy |
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| Menus-Plaisirs, Emilienne d'Alençon poster by Charles Lévy |
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| 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.
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| 1895 Salon des 100 poster by Paul Berthon |
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| 1896 Almanac of Alsace and Lorraine by Paul Berthon |
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| 1896 Tisane Gauloise poster by Paul Berthon |
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| 1897 L'Ermitagelithograph in four colours by Paul Berthon |
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| 1898 Femme de Profil lithograph 25.4 x 33.2 cm by Paul Berthon |
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| 1898 Mandore lithograph 48.9 x 64.1 cmby Paul Berthon |
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| 1899 Les Pipeaux lithograph 65 x 51.5 cmby Paul Berthon |
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| 1899 Societe des Amis des Arts de la Manche poster by Paul Berthon |
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| 1899 The Son of the Virgin (decorative wall panel) by Paul Berthon |
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| 1899 The Wave (decorative wall panel) by Paul Berthon |
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| 1900 Geneviève Williams poster by Paul Berthon |
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| 1900 Jane Othello poster by Paul Berthon |
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| 1900 Les Eglantines lithograph 38.7 x 53.3 cmby Paul Berthon |
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| 1900c Poster for Salon des Arts Libéraux lithograph by Paul Berthon |
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| 1901 Sarah Bernhardt as Mélissinde in La Princesse Lointaine lithograph 51.7 x 36 cmby Paul Berthon |
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| Sarah Bernhardt |
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| Folies Bergère, Liane de Pougy by Paul Berthon |
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| Les Boules de Niege lithograph by Paul Berthon |
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| Sa très gracieuse Majesté la Reine Wilhelmine lithograph on wove paper 38.7 x 36.1 cm by Paul Berthon |
