Original small-format color lithographic plate from Les Affiches illustrees, reproducing Jules Cheret’s 1893 poster for the Folies Bergere ballet-pantomime Fleur de Lotus. The design is one of Cheret’s best-known theater/cabaret images of the early 1890s, advertising the production staged at the Folies Bergere, with text for the ballet-pantomime and its creators integrated into the composition. The original full-size poster was printed by Chaix, Paris in 1893, and this plate was issued shortly afterward in reduced format for collectors in the Affiches illustrees portfolios.
Title: Affiches Illustrees – Folies Bergere – Fleur de Lotus
Artist: Jules Cheret (1836–1932)
Date: 1893 (small-format plate after the original poster)
Publisher/Series: Les Affiches illustrees
Printer: (after Chaix, Paris; as per the original poster)
Size: approx. 8.5 x 11.8 in. (21.5 x 30 cm) sheet, standard Affiches illustrees plate format
Print type: Original color lithograph, small-format plate
Condition: excellent
Comments: Classic Cheret Folies Bergere image in the Affiches illustrees collector’s format; strong color and excellent Belle Epoque cabaret subject matter.
Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Illustrées. This reduced-format lithograph for Jules Chéret’s exuberant poster for the Folies-Bergère music hall, advertising Le Miroir, one of its popular Belle Époque spectacles.
The Folies-Bergère was at the center of Parisian nightlife in the late 19th century, famous for its lavish revues, dancers, acrobats, and theatrical innovations. Le Miroir was among the celebrated productions of the 1890s, staged with elaborate sets and reflected effects that dazzled contemporary audiences. Chéret’s design captures this atmosphere of festivity, with lively figures, flowing ribbons, and radiant color—a hallmark of the artist who became known as the “father of the modern poster.”
Les Affiches Illustrées (1896–1899) was one of the first publications dedicated exclusively to poster art, issued in small runs for collectors. Produced at Chaix under Chéret’s direction, each plate was a stone-lithograph reduction of a major affiche, printed on fine paper and offered in a more practical format than the large street posters. Today, these plates remain highly collectible as authentic examples of Belle Époque lithography.
Title: Folies-Bergère – Le Miroir
Artist: Jules Chéret (1836–1932)
Date: c.1896 (after the original Folies-Bergère poster of the 1890s)
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. Bright, crisp impression with vivid color. A classic Chéret design celebrating the glamour and energy of the Folies-Bergère at the height of the Belle Époque.
Original lithograph by Jules Cheret, issued in 1896 for Les Affiches Illustrées, the series created by Chéret at Imprimerie Chaix to document and celebrate the finest poster designs of the Belle Époque. This plate reproduces Chéret’s well-known poster for the Alcazar d’Été, featuring the performer Lidia in a dynamic swirl of motion and color—an example of the style that made him the central figure of the modern poster.
Produced at a time when poster collecting was at its peak (1895–1900), Les Affiches Illustrées offered high-quality stone-lithograph reductions supervised directly by Chéret. This example is bright, clean, and exceptionally preserved, unlined and in excellent A condition.
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Details
Title: Alcazar d’ete Lidia
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: Bright color and clean sheet; excellent condition
Grand Theatre de l’Exposition – Palais des Enfants – Jules Cheret – Affiches Illustrees – 1889.
Original small-format color lithographic plate from Les Affiches illustrees, reproducing Jules Cheret’s 1889 poster for the “Grand Theatre de l’Exposition / Palais des Enfants.” The image advertises the children’s theatre and entertainments at the 1889 Paris Exposition, listing opera-comique, ballets, pantomimes, clowneries, and marionettes. Cheret’s composition, with its bright, playful Belle Epoque style, was created for the Exposition venue near the Eiffel Tower and printed by Chaix for the original large poster; this reduced-format plate was issued shortly afterward for collectors in the Affiches illustrees portfolios.
Title: Affiches Illustrees – Grand Theatre de l’Exposition – Palais des Enfants
Artist: Jules Cheret (1836–1932)
Date: 1889 (small-format plate after the original poster)
Publisher/Series: Les Affiches illustrees
Printer: (after Imp. Chaix, Paris, as per the original poster)
Size: approx. 8.5 x 11.8 in. (21.5 x 30 cm) sheet, standard Affiches illustrees plate format
Print type: Original color lithograph, small-format plate
Condition: [insert your grading]
Comments: Cheret’s well-known 1889 Exposition children’s theatre poster in the Affiches illustrees collector’s format; strong period entertainment subject and classic Cheret color.
Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Illustrées. This reduced-format lithograph for Jules Chéret’s famous poster for Quinquina Dubonnet, the French apéritif wine infused with quinine.
First created in 1846 by Joseph Dubonnet, the fortified wine was promoted not only as a fashionable aperitif but also as a tonic with supposed health benefits. By the 1890s it had become a household name, thanks in part to striking posters like those of Chéret. His design for Dubonnet features an exuberant female figure in swirling dress and ribbons, raising a glass with infectious energy — the very embodiment of the Belle Époque’s joie de vivre.
Les Affiches Illustrées (1896–1899) was among the first collector series dedicated to poster art, issued in small editions. Produced at the Chaix atelier under Chéret’s supervision, each plate was a carefully executed stone-lithograph reduction of a major affiche, printed on fine paper. These works allowed collectors to own high-quality, authentic examples of poster art in a more practical format than the large affiches that covered Parisian walls.
Title: Quinquina Dubonnet – Apéritif
Artist: Jules Chéret (1836–1932)
Date: c.1896 (after the original 1890s 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. Bright, crisp impression with vivid colors. A classic advertising design linking the world of apéritifs with the exuberant art of the Belle Époque.
Original lithograph by Jules Cheret issued in 1896 for Les Affiches Illustrées, the influential publication showcasing the best poster designs of the late 19th century. This plate features Chéret’s well-known advertisement for the Théâtrophone, an early French system that allowed listeners to hear live opera and theater performances over telephone lines. The image reflects Chéret’s signature style: dynamic figures, bright color, and a cheerful sense of modernity.
Printed by Imprimerie Chaix in Paris, the plate presents the original poster in a reduced but finely executed lithographic format. The example offered here is in excellent condition, with fresh color and crisp detail. Linen-backed and ready for framing.
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Details
Title: Theatrophone
Artist: Jules Cheret
Date: 1896
Printer: Imprimerie Chaix, Paris
Size: 21.5 x 30 cm
Print Type: Stone Lithograph (Les Affiches Illustrées)
Condition: Excellent A (Mint)
Comments: Beautiful condition; rare original
