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.
A brilliant and iconic stone lithograph by Jules Chéret, issued as Plate 145 in Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, the renowned monthly series published at Imprimerie Chaix, Paris, between 1895 and 1900. Subscribers received four plates each month over five years, featuring reduced-format reproductions of the finest poster designs of the Belle Époque.
Chéret’s Saxoléine is among his most celebrated compositions. Created to advertise a brand of oil used for household lighting, the design captures Chéret’s revolutionary approach to poster art — he was the first artist to popularize the use of graceful, animated women to promote commercial products, transforming advertising into an art form. The vivacious figure, bathed in golden light, embodies the optimism and elegance of fin-de-siècle Paris.
Details
Original stone lithograph on wove paper
Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
From Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, Plate 145 (1898)
Sheet size: approximately 40 × 29 cm / 15.75 × 11.4 in.
Condition: Excellent; vivid impression on full sheet
Comments
An outstanding example of Chéret’s joyful style and his pivotal role in defining the modern poster. Saxoléine remains one of the most recognizable and enduring images from Les Maîtres de l’Affiche.
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.
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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
