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.
Les Arts by Jules Cheret Les Affiches Illustrees by Chaix Imprimerie 1896 original stone lithographic plate
Printer: Chaix, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 in / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Arts by Jules Cheret poster for Les Affiches Illustrees were plates printed at the Chaix Imprimerie in 1896 that featured the most famous artist of the day. Cheret was a master printer and artist, but also inventor and created the first lithographs in Stone. This enabled him to make several passes of colors using a stone for each color. This typeof printing method would be too expensive today, but it is the most artistic way of printing. The plate is in excellent condition.
Les Arts by Jules Cheret Les Affiches Illustrees by Chaix Imprimerie 1896 original stone lithographic plate
Artist: Cheret Printer: Chaix, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On/Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Arts by Jules Cheret poster for Les Affiches Illustrees were plates printed at the Chaix Imprimerie in 1896 that featured the most famous artist of the day. Cheret was a master printer and artist, but also inventor and created the first lithographs in Stone. This enabled him to make several passes of colors using a stone for each color. This typeof printing method would be too expensive today, but it is the most artistic way of printing. The plate is in excellent condition.
Original lithograph by Jules Cheret, issued in 1896 for Les Affiches Illustrées, the publication created by Chéret at Imprimerie Chaix to showcase the most important poster designs of the era. This plate reproduces Chéret’s 1894 poster for the Elysée Montmartre, one of Paris’s historic dance halls and entertainment venues. The lively composition and bright palette exemplify Chéret’s ability to capture the movement and atmosphere of Parisian nightlife.
Les Affiches Illustrées was produced during the height of poster collecting (1895–1900), and Chéret supervised the series to ensure faithful stone-lithographic reproductions of the period’s best posters. This example remains in excellent condition, unlined, with strong color and clean margins.
⸻
Details
Title: Elysee Montmartre
Artist: Jules Cheret
Date: 1894 (published 1896)
Printer: Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
Size: 21.5 x 30 cm (approx. 8.5 x 11.8 in)
Print Type: Stone Lithograph (Les Affiches Illustrées)
Linen: Unlined
Condition: Excellent A
Comments: Sharp impression; excellent condition
