L’Estampe Moderne: A Pinnacle of Art Nouveau Lithography
Overview:
Published from 1897 to 1899, L’Estampe Moderne was a prestigious subscription series offering 24 monthly installments of original lithographic plates. Each installment included four finely crafted prints, intended to showcase the creativity and elegance of the Art Nouveau movement.
Production and Artists:
The series was printed by the renowned Champenois Imprimerie in Paris, a printer famous for their work with Alphonse Mucha. Each plate bore an embossed Art Nouveau emblem in the bottom-right corner, signaling authenticity. Unlike Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, which reproduced existing posters, L’Estampe Moderne featured entirely original works created specifically for the publication. Notable contributors included Alphonse Mucha, Louis Rhead, and other celebrated artists of the era.
Original 1897 cover for L’Estampe Moderne, designed by Alphonse (Alfons) Mucha and printed by L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris. This monthly publication presented a series of fine art lithographs mailed directly to subscribers, each issue featuring four plates. The decorative cover, created by Mucha exclusively for the series, captures his elegant Art Nouveau style with soft lines, floral motifs, and harmonious composition.
Please note: I have several original covers from L’Estampe Moderne available. The example shown is representative of what you will receive — all were printed in the same year by the same printer, with only the issue number and date differing. Condition, size, and artwork are identical.
Details
Artist: Alfons Mucha
Printer: L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris
Year: 1897
Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm
Print Type: Lithograph
On/Off Linen: Unlined
Condition: Excellent A condition
Comments: Original cover for L’Estampe Moderne, used across the monthly editions of 1897–1898. A beautifully preserved example of Mucha’s collaboration with the Paris printer Champenois and one of the classic Art Nouveau designs of the period.
Original 1897 lithograph La Servante by Ferdinand Luigini, published in L’Estampe Moderne and printed by L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris. Luigini was known for his refined landscape and genre scenes, often depicting rural life in France with a quiet, painterly sensibility. In La Servante, he captures a moment of simple domestic grace, rendered with soft tonal harmony and delicate line — characteristic of the lyrical realism that runs through much of his work.
Details
Artist: Ferdinand Luigini
Printer: L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris
Year: 1897
Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm
Print Type: Original Lithograph
On/Off Linen: Unlined
Condition: Excellent A condition
Comments: Issued as part of L’Estampe Moderne, the monthly Parisian series published from 1897 to 1899, featuring original lithographs by leading artists of the Art Nouveau era. La Servante is a serene example of Luigini’s delicate composition and the exceptional printing quality of Champenois.
Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition Autumne Nue by Menard 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Original 1897 lithograph Artemis by Albert Donnay, published in L’Estampe Moderne and printed by L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris. This composition presents the goddess Artemis in an Art Nouveau interpretation — graceful and stylized, surrounded by decorative foliage and moonlit symbolism. Donnay’s work captures the refined aesthetic of the late 19th century, blending mythological subject matter with the fluid design language of the period.
Details
Artist: Albert Donnay
Printer: L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris
Year: 1897
Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm
Print Type: Original Lithograph
On/Off Linen: Unlined
Condition: Excellent A condition
Comments: Published as part of L’Estampe Moderne, the celebrated Parisian monthly portfolio issued from 1897 to 1899. Each issue contained four original lithographs by leading artists. Artemis exemplifies the poetic and decorative qualities that defined this influential series.
Artist: Ibels Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Pantomime by Ibels 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Original 1897 lithograph Le Jugement de Paris by Paul Jouve, published in L’Estampe Moderne and printed by L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris. This early work by Jouve, who would later become one of France’s foremost animal painters and sculptors, illustrates the classical myth of Paris choosing between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The composition already shows Jouve’s developing mastery of form and his refined sense of line and balance.
Details
Artist: Paul Jouve
Printer: L’Imprimerie Champenois, Paris
Year: 1897
Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm
Print Type: Original Lithograph
On/Off Linen: Unlined
Condition: Excellent A condition
Comments: Issued as part of L’Estampe Moderne, the celebrated monthly Parisian portfolio published between 1897 and 1899. Each issue contained four original lithographs by prominent artists of the Art Nouveau period. Le Jugement de Paris is an important early example of Jouve’s work, revealing his emerging style and the precision that later defined his career.
Artist: Delatre Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Kacia by Delatre 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Ernest Laurent Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Soir d’Octobre by Ernest Laurent 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Artigue Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Albine by Artigue 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Lepere Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Loups des Mers by Lepere 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Artigue Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Albine by Artigue 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Francis Jourdain Printer: Champenois, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1897 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les cygnes by Francis Jourdain 1897 for the Estampe Moderne
Estampe Moderne was a series of plates that were delivered to your home in 1897 via the Post. You subscribed to the Imprimerie Champenois Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.