theatre

ALCAZAR D’ÉTÉ – KANJAROWA — Jules Chéret

Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Illustrées. This reduced-format lithograph reproduces Jules Chéret’s poster for the Alcazar d’Été music hall, advertising the celebrated dancer Kanjarowa, a featured attraction on the Paris stage during the Belle Époque.

The Alcazar d’Été was one of Paris’s most fashionable summer cafés-concerts, located on the Champs-Élysées. Known for its variety shows, operettas, and star performers, the venue epitomized Parisian entertainment culture in the 1890s. Kanjarowa, a Russian dancer, was among the international artists who captivated Paris audiences with exotic and lively performances. Chéret’s poster captures this spirit with his signature style: swirling ribbons, animated movement, and vivid color that transformed advertising into art.

Les Affiches Illustrées (1896–1899) was one of the first publications devoted entirely to poster art, issued in small editions for collectors. Published under Chéret’s artistic direction at the Chaix atelier, each plate was a stone-lithograph reduction of a major affiche, printed on fine paper. These works, smaller than the full-size street posters but identical in technique, allowed subscribers to collect and enjoy the finest examples of Belle Époque poster design.

Title: Alcazar d’Été – Kanjarowa
Artist: Jules Chéret (1836–1932)
Date: c.1896 (after the original Alcazar d’Été 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. Crisp impression with bright colors. A rare miniature of Chéret’s design celebrating the famed Alcazar d’Été and one of its star dancers, Kanjarowa.