‘L’art est dans la rue’ at the Musée d’Orsay
If you have a chance to go to Paris between now and 6 July, don’t miss ‘L’Art est dans la rue’: a feast of some 230 posters (and related photographs, short films, paintings, ephemera and artefacts).
Fig. 1 Travel poster by Theodore Steinlen, printed by Imprimerie Édouard Ancourt, [1896], colour lithography, 137 x 95 cm. source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France
This is, surprisingly, the first major Parisian retrospective devoted to the posters that exploded onto the new streets of Haussmannian Paris (many still under construction) in the second half of the 19th century, and especially in the iconic 1890s ‘Belle Époque’. The temporary transmutation of 140 posters (mostly acquired by legal deposit) from the stacks of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France to prime exhibition space at the Musée d’Orsay is not only a unique chance to view them displayed together, but also a confirmation of their status as works of art. Some of the posters are well known (mainly through reproductions) by masters such as Jules Chéret, Alphonse Mucha, Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (see fig. 1), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Eugène Grasset and Leonetto Cappiello, or by major artists such as Édouard Manet, Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis and Édouard Vuillard. Some are lesser known: Henri-Gabriel Ibels, Jean Peské, Marcellin Auzolle …
A further treat is the section devoted to ‘affichomanie’ (postermania) of the 1890s to 1900s. This includes rare variants of posters produced for sale to collectors, as well as posters for specialist publications and exhibitions of posters.
Fig 2 Anonymous poster, printed by Imprimerie Rouchon, 1849. Wood engraving in colour, 274 x 216 cm
Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France
The exhibition is all about contextualisation. The first rooms explore the relationship of posters to the evolution of large-scale printing in colour, from wood engraving (in particular by the innovative Imprimerie Rouchon: see fig. 2) to colour lithography. There are clear and detailed explanations of the lithographic printing process and a superb virtual studio where visitors can create their own lithographed poster in three colours, step by step, and receive the result by email. Numerous contemporary photographs, paintings, posters and short films give a real sense of how posters were displayed on hoardings, buildings and the iconic advertising columns (‘colonnes Morris’). Postcards and humorous footage document the role played by legions of bill stickers, and numerous quotations from writers and art critics are evidence of the controversy surrounding the invasion of posters in the Parisian cityscape.
The second part of the exhibition explores the poster in relation to the evolution of various aspects of social history in a sequence of rooms devoted to commerce, publishing, travel, entertainment, politics, etc. The whole ensemble is a magnificent feast for the eyes, and an opportunity to immerse yourself in such an iconic period through its (high-end!) ephemera.
Can’t get there? There is, of course, an exhibition catalogue: (https://www.leslibraires.fr/livre/24304622-l-art-est-dans-la-rue-catalogue-d-exposition-collectif-bnf-editions). There is also much to explore through the BnF’s digital platform Gallica: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr (over 140,000 results for ‘affiche’ with, of course, the usual filters!).
In Paris? Another thrill for me was to browse original vintage posters (some represented in the exhibition) at the specialist Librairie Elbé, 213 bis Boulevard St Germain: https://www.elbe.paris/en
Ephemerists might also enjoy ‘Musique et République’ at the Archives Nationales https://www.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/evenements/musique-et-republique-de-la-revolution-au-front-populaire
until 14 July), the permanent displays of the Musée de Montmartre (https://oh-oui.com/musee-montmartre2/musee-jardins/), or the National Playing Card Museum (https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/french-playing-card-museum)