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.
Artist: Hohenstein Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
A LA PLACE CLICHY BY PEAN FOR LES MAITRES DE L’AFFICHE
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Rassenfosse Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
GRANDE BRASSERIE BY RASSENFOSSE FOR LES MAITRES DE L’AFFICHE
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Eugène Grasset (1845–1917)
Jeanne d’Arc – Sarah Bernhardt, 1899
A richly colored stone lithograph by Eugène Grasset, issued as Plate 174 in Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, the celebrated monthly series published by Jules Chéret at the Imprimerie Chaix in Paris between 1895 and 1900. Subscribers received four plates each month over five years, reproducing the most accomplished poster designs of the Belle Époque in reduced format. The complete series comprised 256 numbered plates created by the foremost artists of the day.
This plate portrays the legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt in her celebrated role as Jeanne d’Arc. Grasset, a major figure of the Art Nouveau movement, combines stylized design with spiritual dignity, expressing both Bernhardt’s theatrical power and the idealized purity of the saint.
Details
Original stone lithograph on wove paper
Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
From Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, Plate 174 (1899)
Sheet size: approximately 40 × 29 cm / 15.75 × 11.4 in.
Condition: Excellent; vivid impression on full sheet
Comments
An outstanding example from Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, uniting Grasset’s refined Art Nouveau style with the timeless image of Sarah Bernhardt as France’s national heroine.
Chamonix–Strasbourg was created by Roger Broders in 1926 for the PLM (Paris–Lyon–Méditerranée) railway company to promote travel between the French Alps and Alsace. The design features two women in the traditional dress of their respective regions — the wide-brimmed bow headdress of Strasbourg and the alpine attire of Chamonix — standing against a backdrop that links snow-covered peaks to the architectural landmarks of eastern France.
Broders, one of France’s most celebrated travel poster artists, was known for his bold compositions, clear lines, and rich color palettes. This work reflects his signature style of pairing stylized landscapes with strong graphic design to capture the romance of rail travel in the interwar period.
Printed in Paris by Lucien Serre using lithography, this large-format poster has been mounted on linen for preservation and is in excellent “A” condition.
Title: Chamonix–Strasbourg
Artist: Roger Broders
Date: 1926
Printer: Lucien Serre, Paris
Size: 31 × 42 in / 80 × 107 cm
Print Type: Lithograph
On/Off Linen: On linen
Condition: Excellent “A”
Comments: Issued by PLM to promote travel between the French Alps and Alsace, showing women in traditional costumes from Chamonix and Strasbourg.
An original stone lithograph by Vaclav Oliva, issued as Plate 176 in Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, the monthly series published by Jules Cheret at Imprimerie Chaix, Paris, between 1895 and 1900. Subscribers received four numbered plates each month, representing leading poster artists of the Belle Époque.
This design advertises Zlata Praha (“Golden Prague”), an illustrated weekly newspaper published in Prague at the end of the nineteenth century. Oliva’s composition combines the clarity of Art Nouveau line with subtle color and a poised female figure symbolizing the cultural refinement of the Czech capital.
Details
Original stone lithograph on wove paper
Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
From Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, Plate 176 (1899)
Sheet size: approximately 40 × 29 cm / 15.75 × 11.4 in.
Condition: Excellent; strong, clean impression on full sheet
Comments
A beautifully preserved example from Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, uniting Parisian printing quality with a distinguished Central European subject.
Artist: MEUNIER Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
BULLIER BY MEUNIER FOR LES MAITRES DE L’AFFICHE
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Boano Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16″ / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
TEATRO REGIO BY BOANO FOR LES MAITRES DE L’AFFICHE
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Boano Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
SALON DES CENT BY GOTTLOB FOR LES MAITRES DE L’AFFICHE
Artist: Gottlob Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
Artist: Koller Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
EUGENIE BUFFET BY STEVENS FOR LES MAITRES DE L’AFFICHE
Artist: Stevens Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 12 x 16 in / 30.5 x 40.6 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1895-9 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Maitres de l’affiche were stone lithographs printed by the Chaix Imprimerie in paris between the years 1895 and 1899. The celebrated the masters of the posters of that period. Paris for 4 plates to arrive every month. The plate is in excellent condition.
