Art Movements

SALON DE CENT — Eugène Grasset – 1896

Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Illustrées. This plate features Eugène Grasset’s poster for his own exhibition at the Salon de Cent, an avant-garde Parisian gallery dedicated to posters and prints. Founded by Léon Deschamps in 1894, the Salon became a key venue for artists such as Grasset, Mucha, Bonnard, and Toulouse-Lautrec, who were at the forefront of the poster movement.

Grasset’s design reflects his characteristic Art Nouveau style: graceful linearity, harmonious flat color, and decorative detail influenced by medieval and Japanese art. The poster was created to promote a solo exhibition of his works, underscoring his central role in establishing poster art as both a commercial medium and a legitimate form of fine art.

Les Affiches Illustrées (1896–1899) was one of the earliest journals devoted exclusively to poster art, published under the direction of Jules Chéret at the Chaix atelier. Each plate was a reduced-format stone lithograph printed on fine paper, allowing collectors to own authentic works of the Belle Époque’s leading poster artists.

Title: Salon de Cent (Eugène Grasset Exhibition)
Artist: Eugène Grasset (1845–1917)
Date: c.1896 (after the original 1890s poster)
Printer: Imprimerie Chaix, Paris (Les Affiches Illustrées)
Size: 21.5 × 30 cm (approx. 8.5 × 11.8 in)
Print Type: Stone lithograph
Condition: Excellent “A,” near-mint on fine wove paper
Comments: Authentic plate from Les Affiches Illustrées, produced at Chaix under Jules Chéret. Clean impression with fresh color. A notable design by Grasset created for his own exhibition at the Salon de Cent, reflecting his importance in the Art Nouveau movement.