Theater

IRIS — Adolfo Hohenstein

Original stone-lithograph plate issued in 1899 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Maîtres de l’Affiche. This plate (no. 197) presents Adolfo Hohenstein’s celebrated poster for the Italian opera Iris, composed by Pietro Mascagni.

Premiered in Rome in 1898, Iris quickly spread to the great opera houses of Europe, admired for Mascagni’s rich score and exotic subject matter. Hohenstein, often called the “father of Italian poster art,” created the striking visual campaign. His design for Iris blends Symbolist and Art Nouveau influences: a graceful female figure radiates light and mystery, surrounded by decorative motifs that suggest both the opera’s dramatic themes and its lush Orientalist setting.

Les Maîtres de l’Affiche (1895–1900) was a prestigious subscription series directed by Jules Chéret, showcasing small-format original lithographs of the era’s most important posters. Printed at the Chaix atelier on fine wove paper and issued with the blindstamp, these plates brought the leading poster artists of Europe to collectors in a refined format.

Title: Iris (opera by Pietro Mascagni)
Artist: Adolfo Hohenstein (1854–1928)
Date: 1899 (Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, plate no. 197)
Printer: Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
Size: 11.5 × 15.5 inches (approx. 29 × 39 cm)
Print Type: Stone lithograph
Condition: Excellent “A,” near-mint on fine wove paper with blindstamp
Comments: Authentic plate from Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, produced at Chaix under the direction of Jules Chéret. Brilliant impression and vivid color. A rare example of Italian poster design represented in the series, celebrating Hohenstein’s elegant artwork for Mascagni’s Iris.