lautrec affiche

Confetti by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec for Les Affiches Étrangères, Chaix Imprimerie, 1897 (Stone Lithograph)

Jules Chéret created Les Affiches Étrangères at the Chaix Imprimerie to showcase international poster artists. His goal was to offer the public a book featuring 65 color plates and numerous black-and-white illustrations. The poster-collecting craze that began in France in 1895 increased demand for this collection. As a result, the book highlighted famous posters from artists outside France. Each artist approved their plate, and Chaix Imprimerie produced them using stone lithography in 1897. The collection includes works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Mucha, Chéret, and others. This lithograph is an opportunity to own an original piece created during Lautrec’s lifetime with his consent. Today, museums worldwide feature this work.

Toulouse-Lautrec designed the Confetti poster in 1894 as a lively advertisement for Palais de la Nouveauté, a Parisian company selling confetti. During that time, confetti was a popular item for carnival season and festive events.

This plate appears in Les Affiches Étrangères because, although Lautrec was a French artist, he designed the poster for a London-based company that produced confetti for festivals.