Art Movements

MUSÉE GRÉVIN – PANTOMIMES — Jules Chéret

Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Illustrées. This reduced-format lithograph of Jules Chéret’s lively poster for the Pantomimes Lumineuses at the Musée Grévin, one of Paris’s most popular venues of the Belle Époque.

Founded in 1882, the Musée Grévin was both a wax museum and a showcase for visual spectacles. In the 1890s it became famous for its “pantomimes lumineuses,” or illuminated pantomimes — short theatrical works combining actors, costumes, and projected effects, a hybrid between shadow theatre and early cinema. These productions were highly fashionable and foreshadowed the rise of motion-picture entertainment.

Les Affiches Illustrées (1896–1899) was among the first journals dedicated to poster art, issued in small runs for the growing collector market. Published under Jules Chéret’s direction at the Chaix atelier, the series presented high-quality stone-lithograph reductions of important affiches by leading artists. Printed with the same techniques as the large posters but in a smaller format, they allowed subscribers to own authentic works by masters like Chéret, Grasset, Mucha, and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Chéret’s design for the Pantomimes bursts with movement and color: elegant female figures whirl across the stage, evoking music, light, and theatrical excitement. The composition captures both the joyous atmosphere of Parisian nightlife and Chéret’s reputation as the “father of the modern poster.”

Title: Musée Grévin – Pantomimes Lumineuses

Artist: Jules Chéret (1836–1932)

Date: c.1896 (after the original poster of the early 1890s)

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’s direction. Bright color, crisp impression. A classic example of Chéret’s theatrical advertising, reflecting the excitement of the Pantomimes Lumineuses at the Musée Grévin.