Plates Prints Maitres Jules Cheret Poster France has a wide selection and variety of small size posters Covers and prints. From The Chaix Imprimerie printing the Affiches Illustrees to Affiches Etrangeres to Menus and then there are the Das Plakat plates and Estampe Moderne by Champenois Imprimerie in Paris. Also Scena Illustrata keeping up on the Art scene in Florence Italy and Journals like Le Rire and Gil Blas and Figaro Illustres as well. Scena Illustrata A wide variety of offerings of French and Italian small size posters
Leçons de Violin – Les Maîtres de l’Affiche – Paul Berthon
Original plate Leçons de Violin by Paul Berthon, published as part of the Les Maîtres de l’Affiche series. Issued between 1895 and 1899, this celebrated project reproduced in reduced format the leading poster designs of the Belle Époque. Subscribers received four plates each month, printed by the Imprimerie Chaix in Paris under the artistic direction of Jules Chéret.
Paul Berthon (1872–1909) was a French Art Nouveau artist and lithographer, admired for his elegant line, decorative motifs, and refined use of color. His work reflects the aesthetics of the Art Nouveau period, often compared to Alphonse Mucha, and includes both poster design and decorative arts.
The plate was printed by Chaix, the foremost Parisian printer of posters at the time, whose work defined the visual culture of the 1890s.
This example measures 11 × 16 in. (28 × 40.6 cm) and is preserved in excellent “A” condition.
⸻
Artist: Paul Berthon
Printer: Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
Date: 1895–1899 (Les Maîtres de l’Affiche series)
Size: 11 × 16 in. (28 × 40.6 cm)
Print Type: Stone Lithograph
On Linen: No
Condition: Excellent “A”
Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Illustrées. This plate presents Eugène Grasset’s elegant advertising design for Encre Marquet, a French ink manufacturer. Grasset, one of the pioneers of Art Nouveau, was celebrated for his graceful line work, flattened color harmonies, and stylized decorative compositions that drew on medieval and Japanese sources. His poster for Encre Marquet exemplifies this refined approach, transforming a simple commercial product into a work of artistic sophistication.
Les Affiches Illustrées (1896–1899) was one of the earliest journals devoted exclusively to poster art, issued in limited numbers for collectors. Published under the artistic direction of Jules Chéret at the Chaix atelier, each issue contained stone-lithograph reductions of major affiches, printed on fine paper using the same techniques as the large-format originals. These plates offered collectors access to authentic poster art by the leading designers of the Belle Époque in a more practical and collectible format.
Grasset’s Encre Marquet remains an iconic example of French poster design in the 1890s, combining functionality, elegance, and the stylistic innovation that defined Art Nouveau.
Title: Encre Marquet
Artist: Eugène Grasset (1845–1917)
Date: c.1896 (after the original advertising 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. Strong, clean impression with vivid color. A classic Art Nouveau design by Grasset, highlighting his refined decorative style in commercial poster art.
Figaro Illustre Angels by window by Firmin Bouisset from 1898 original
Artist: Bouisset, Firmin Printer: Editeurs Figaro, Paris Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: On Linen Year: 1898 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Firago Illustre came out monthly and used the best artists of the time. A Journal of events and news of the time with lots of illustrations and as time went on photos. At the turn of the Century the printing technique used was chromolithographie. In Excellent condition.
