Naakte voorovergebogen jongen met hoed en stok c. 1870 - 1894

Gustave Joseph Chéret made this sketch in ink on paper. It's called "Naakte voorovergebogen jongen met hoed en stok." Chéret was a French painter and printmaker, known for his Belle Époque posters. His artistic production coincided with a time of great social change. The Third Republic in France saw the rise of consumer culture and mass media. His work, like many others, reflects a society that was becoming increasingly commercialized. The art world was very much shaped by the opening of new museums, commercial art galleries and the expansion of the art market. We could look at publications from the period to understand better the way that this drawing might have been received. Or we could focus on the ways in which he engaged or challenged the artistic conventions of his time. These are some of the things that a social art historian might do when they try to interpret this image.