Camille Stéfani 1897

Jules Chéret created this lithographic poster to advertise the talents of Camille Stéfani, a performer in France at the end of the 19th century. It captures a moment in Parisian social history when posters transformed urban space into what some called ‘the street as exhibition gallery’. Consider the way the artist presents Stéfani. She's a vision of feminine allure, but also a commodity, her image deployed to sell entertainment. The design suggests the influence of Japanese prints, then a craze in Paris, but also an artistic and commercial culture that was evolving rapidly, in response to technological advances in printing, the growth of consumer culture, and the rise of celebrity. The poster has a strong message about the commercialisation of art and culture in the Belle Époque. To understand the poster fully, we can research not just the artist and the world of Parisian entertainment, but also the institutions that supported the poster industry. It’s a reminder that artworks are always embedded in a specific time, place, and set of social relations.