|As we have seen, the idea of the poster, and even of the pictorial
poster, is an extremely ancient one, but it is only at the commencement
of the present century that distinguished designers deliberately
attempted to make the pictorial poster a work of art. The few posters,
at once pictorial and artistic, which are of earlier date than the
time in question, are artistic by accident rather than by deliberate
intention. So early, however, as the year 1836, we find a really
distinguished French artist, Lalance, producing a poster. Lalance was,
perhaps, the pioneer of pioneers, and his advertisement for the book,
"Comment Meurent Les Femmes," if not of great artistic interest, cannot
be overlooked in any book dealing with the history of art as applied
to the poster. Only a fewr copies exist. Immediately succeeding him,
we have Celestin Nanteuil engaged in producing an advertisement for an
edition of "Robert Macaire," dated 1837. The year following, Rafifet
brought out his "Napoleon de Norvins." This work is signed as well as
dated. Raffet, in addition to the "Napoleon de Norvins," designed two
more posters dealing with the career of the great emperor as well as the
history of Algeria. Very soon after comes an important _affiche_, "Le
Prado," by Eugene Gauche, and from that time the artistic poster became
an established institution.
It may be fairly stated that the direct cause of the artistic poster in
France was the illustrated book. The illustrated book, issued in weekly
or monthly numbers, has always appealed keenly to the French, and it is
usual to give the first number for nothing to all who care to ask for
it. The illustrators of these books were very frequently induced by the
publishers of them to do a poster advertising the edition of the works
they had illustrated. Sometimes one of the illustrations in the book was
merely enlarged and lithographed, but more generally the artist made a
special design. Perhaps, at the time, the most widely known among French
producers of the _affiche illustre_ was Gavarni. The vogue for the works
of this eminent illustrator and satirist is perhaps not so great as
it was twenty years ago. At all events, the value of his works is not
nearly so great as it was then, and it has become usual to talk of him
in a manner which is patronizing rather than genuinely appreciative. It
may be that his
[Illustration: 0034]
savage and grotesque point of view discounts his merits as an artist.
His power and originality, however, few will deny.
Among the posters which he designed, one of the most characteristic is
the "Oeuvres Choisis." The original is extremely rare,
[Illustration: 0035]
but a copy exists in a folio volume in the British Museum, in which
one or two other posters by Gavarni will be found. For the "Almanach
Imperial, 1846," by
[Illustration: 0036]
E. Marco de S. Hilaire, illustrated by Bertrand, a poster (which was,
perhaps, an enlargement of the cover) exists. It is a very
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OUVRAGE COMPLET, a jingo affair, representing the French emperor
standing on the globe with the imperial eagle of France at his feet.
Of a little later date are several interesting posters by Grandville.
Amongst them are "Les Metamorphoses du Jour" (of which a number
[Illustration: 0038]
of pigs in different costumes is the main feature), "Des Animaux," "Ma
Tante," "Petit Misere," and "St. Helene." Of the two latter I need say
nothing, since they are reproduced here, save that they are included
in the collection of the British Museum. An illustrated poster very
characteristic of
[Illustration: 0039]
its period, insomuch as it is intensely grotesque, is the "Voyage ou
il vous plaira," by Tony Johannot. Its central figures are a
monstrous dwarf holding a lantern, a crouching dragon, and an immense
notice-board. An _affiche_ which is, perhaps, of
[Illustration: 0040]
even more general interest, is one done for an illustrated edition of
"Don Quichotte," in which the very perfect, gentle knight is represented
with a grotesqueness which would certainly have astonished Cervantes
himself. Of a similar kind is the "Nains Celebres," by E. de Beaumont.
An illustrated poster of a kind utterly different to the one last
discussed is by T. H. Frere. It was designed for the advertisement of a
work entitled "La Touraine," by Stanislas Bellanger de Tours. Under no
circumstances should one overlook an _affiche_ of about the same
period on account of the great personality of its designer. It is very
generally admitted that the name of Edouard Manet is one of the greatest
in the history of modern painting. It would indeed be difficult to
over-estimate the extent of his influence on the pictorial art of the
day. The poster reproduced in these pages is not unworthy his great
talent. It is curious to notice that Manet and Fred. Walker, an English
artist of about the same time, as to whose genius all are agreed, should
have been at one in their endeavour to make the illustrated poster
artistic as well as merely pictorial.
I have not attempted to deal with any save the most prominent of the
great number of French designers who took part in the poster movement
during the fifties. Their names and the titles of some of their works
will be found in the first catalogue of M. Ed. Sagot, and valuable
criticism is contained in the pages of M. Maindron.
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