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Levitation magic poster, The Fakir Shah Rabey and The Aerial Woman, c. 1915

c. 1915

Jules Chéret’s poster advertising the Théâtre Optique (Optical Theatre) immortalized a momentous convergence of technology, culture, history, and art with the 1892 debut of Emile Reynaud’s praxinoscope at the Musée Grévin in Paris. Reynaud presented his Pantomimes Lumineuses, the world’s first animated films, using his innovative system which projected light through moving pictures to offer illuminated pantomimes. Among the three short films Reynaud screened through his praxinoscope was Pauvre Pierrot (Poor Pierrot), a story of Pierrot courting Columbine based on the timeless archetypal love triangle featured in many Commedia dell’arte pantomimes. As a member of the Cercle Funambulesque (roughly “Friends of the Tightrope-walkers”), a French society which championed the contemporary creation of Commedia dell-arte-inspired pantomimes, Jules Chéret was often inspired by Pierrot and produced a large number of works depicting him, often with his beloved Columbine. Cheret’s involvement with the Cercle, combined with the immense popularity of these archetypes in the late 19th century, meant that they appeared frequently in his works. This work comes from the extremely scarce edition of 25 strikes on Imperial Japon paper, a mulberry bark-based stock inspired by the smooth-surfaced papers used in Japanese printmaking. This world-class example of lithography captures superior resolution and color-richness to that of its large-format counterpart. The use of marbled Imperial Japon paper allows inks to rest upon its surface rather than being absorbed by a more porous paper stock. An extremely scarce fraction of the edition of 25 are estimated to have survived to date. Stone lithograph of Jules Chéret’s Musée Grévin...

Elegantly-dressed society women observe silhouettes of Commedia dell’Arte characters Pierrot, Columbine, and Harlequin at the shadow play theater Le Cénacle. In a manner reminiscent...

Lithograph for Luigi Emilio Caldanzano’s Art Nouveau advertisement for Lenti Radio-Attive, which marketed “radioactive” eyeglass lenses claim...

Belle Époque lithograph of Folies Bergère: Fleur de Lotus by Jules Chéret, published in 1896 by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris. While Fleur de Lotus ...

Le Reve (The dream) An original theatre poster designed by Theophile Alexandre Steinlen for Le Reve at the Academie Nationale de Musique 96 x 76cm. (incl. frame) New white wood fram...

Musee Grevin Avant La Lettre (Before Text), created in 1900, is one of the best known images by the great French artist, Jules Chéret. The poster advertises a show performance at the...

Musee Grevin Avant La Lettre (Before Text), created in 1900, is one of the best known images by the great French artist, Jules Chéret. The poster advertises a show performance at the...

Roger Irriera's vintage travel poster for the Chemins de fer Algériens de l'État, highlighting Biskra as the "queen of Zibans," is a captivating portal to a bygone era of North Afric...