Music

JANE AVRIL – JARDIN DE PARIS — Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Illustrées. This reduced-format lithograph reproduces Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s famous poster of Jane Avril, one of Montmartre’s most celebrated dancers, created to advertise her performances at the Jardin de Paris.

Jane Avril (1868–1943), a close friend and muse of Lautrec, became an icon of Parisian nightlife through her eccentric, serpentine style of dance. Lautrec’s posters of her are among his most enduring works, capturing both her elegance and her unconventional energy. In this design, Avril dominates the composition, her figure twisting in rhythm, while the bold curves and flat colors reflect Lautrec’s revolutionary approach to poster art.

Les Affiches Illustrées (1896–1899) was among the first journals dedicated to poster art, issued in small runs for collectors. Produced at the Chaix atelier, each plate was a stone-lithograph reduction of an important affiche, printed on fine paper for subscribers. These editions gave collectors authentic examples of the finest Belle Époque posters in a smaller, more practical format than the large affiches pasted on Paris walls.

Title: Jane Avril – Jardin de Paris
Artist: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901)
Date: c.1896 (after the original 1893 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. Crisp impression with strong colors. One of Lautrec’s most iconic poster designs, immortalizing Jane Avril and the artistic vibrancy of fin-de-siècle Paris.