Picture Posters/Chapter 2
| CHAPTER II. |
THE PICTORIAL POSTER IN FRANCE DURING THE PRESENT CENTURY.
As we have seen, the idea of the poster, and even of the pictorial poster, is an extremely ancient one, but it is only at the commencement of the present century that distinguished designers deliberately attempted to make the pictorial poster a work of art. The few posters, at once pictorial and artistic, which are of earlier date than the time in question, are artistic by accident rather than by deliberate intention. So early, however, as the year 1836, we find a really distinguished French artist, Lalance, producing a poster. Lalance was, perhaps, the pioneer of pioneers, and his advertisement for the book, "Comment Meurent Les Femmes," if not of great artistic interest, cannot be overlooked in any book dealing with the history of art as applied to the poster. Only a few copies exist. Immediately succeeding him, we have Célestin Nanteuil engaged in producing an advertisement for an edition of "Robert Macaire," dated 1837. The year following, Raffet brought out his "Napoléon de Norvins." This work is signed as well as dated. Raffet, in addition to the "Napoléon de Norvins," designed two more posters dealing with the career of the great emperor as well as the history of Algeria. Very soon after comes an important affiche, "Le Prado," by Eugène Gauché, and from that time the artistic poster became an established institution.
It may be fairly stated that the direct cause of the artistic poster in France was the illustrated book. The illustrated book, issued in weekly or monthly numbers, has always appealed keenly to the French, and it is usual to give the first number for nothing to all who care to ask for it. The illustrators of these books were very frequently induced by the publishers of them to do a poster advertising the edition of the works they had illustrated. Sometimes one of the illustrations in the book was merely enlarged and lithographed, but more generally the artist made a special design. Perhaps, at the time, the most widely known among French producers of the affiche illustré was Gavarni. The vogue for the works of this eminent illustrator and satirist is perhaps not so great as it was twenty years ago. At all events, the value of his works is not nearly so great as it was then, and it has become usual to talk of him in a manner which is patronizing rather than genuinely appreciative. It may be that his
DESIGN BY BERTRAND.
savage and grotesque point of view discounts his merits as an artist. His power and originality, however, few will deny. Among the posters which he designed, one of the most characteristic is the "Œuvres Choisis." The original is extremely rare,
DESIGN BY GRANDVILLE.
DESIGN BY GRANDVILLE.
DESIGN BY TONY JOHANNOT.
jingo affair, representing the French emperor standing on the globe with the imperial eagle of France at his feet. Of a little later date are several interesting posters by Grandville. Amongst them are "Les Metamorphoses du Jour" (of which a number
DESIGN BY TONY JOHANNOT.
of pigs in different costumes is the main feature), "Des Animaux," "Ma Tante," "Petit Misère," and "St. Helène." Of the two latter I need say nothing, since they are reproduced here, save that they are included in the collection of the British Museum. An illustrated poster very characteristic of
DESIGN BY EDOUARD DE BEAUMONT.
its period, insomuch as it is intensely grotesque, is the "Voyage ou il vous plaira," by Tony Johannot. Its central figures are a monstrous dwarf holding a lantern, a crouching dragon, and an immense notice-board. An affiche which is, perhaps, of
DESIGN BY T. H. FRÈRE.
even more general interest, is one done for an illustrated edition of "Don Quichotte," in which the very perfect, gentle knight is represented with a grotesqueness which would certainly have astonished Cervantes himself. Of a similar kind is the "Nains Célèbres," by E. de Beaumont. An illustrated poster of a kind utterly different to the one last discussed is by T. H. Frère. It was designed for the advertisement of a work entitled "La Touraine," by Stanislas Bellanger de Tours. Under no circumstances should one overlook an affiche of about the same period on account of the great personality of its designer. It is very generally admitted that the name of Edouard Manet is one of the greatest in the history of modern painting. It would indeed be difficult to over-estimate the extent of his influence on the pictorial art of the day. The poster reproduced in these pages is not unworthy his great talent. It is curious to notice that Manet and Fred. Walker, an English artist of about the same time, as to whose genius all are agreed, should have been at one in their endeavour to make the illustrated poster artistic as well as merely pictorial.
I have not attempted to deal with any save the most prominent of the great number of French designers who took part in the poster movement during the fifties. Their names and the titles of some of their works will be found in the first catalogue of M. Ed. Sagot, and valuable criticism is contained in the pages of M. Maindron.
DESIGN BY EDOUARD MANET.