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Cheret Orig 8 ft Theater Poster Elysee Montmartre 1890

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 12,500.00 USD
Cheret Orig 8 ft Theater Poster Elysee Montmartre 1890
This is a huge, original poster from the classic age of French poster art. Noted artist Cheret designed the print to promote a theatrical venue for the Elysee Montmartre, one of the most elegant dance halls frequented by Parisians in the late 1800s. With his rich pallete, the artist has portrayed a free-spirited young woman and a happy clown. One of Cheret's assets as an artist was the way his gestural drawings gave his figures motion; there is a swing and a rhythm in his characters that sweeps us right along with them. They seem to live in the moment, carefree and bound for pleasure alone. * * * * In the late 1800s, large-scale lithographic posters had to be printed on separate pieces of paper if the image size exceeded the press size. This image is composed of two sheets. The professional framing has aligned them with precision. Also, the poster has been backed with linen canvas. * * * . * Artist: Jules Cheret * Title: "Elysee Montmartre" * Medium: Color stone lithograph on two sheets of paper, linen-backed * Date: 1890 * Image size: 31 by 96 inches * Frame size: 41 by 101 inches * Markings: Printers marks along the edge, along with Republique Francaise stamp * Condition of the image: Very good for a poster of this age and size * Condition of the frame: Very good, with a few minor surface nicks * * * * * * Biography: * * Jules Cheret, 1836-1932, was born in Paris to a poor but creative family of artisans. At age thirteen, he began a three-year apprenticeship with a lithographer. After extensive training, he began creating vivid advertisement posters for cabarets, music halls, and theaters such as the Moulin Rouge. He first saw enormous lithograph posters at a World's Fair during the 1850s, and immediately recognized their artistic potential. * * * * French culture promoted poster art. Rapidly growing cities, expanded commerce and industry created new wealth among a large number of people. Cheret, the "father of the poster," elevated the medium of lithography, traditionally used primarily for the creation of books, to an artform. Cheret designed over 1000 posters, and contributed greatly to the "explosion of advertising." Cheret's skill with the medium influenced the styles of many artists, including Toulouse Lautrec.