Musée Grévin, Black Magic 1887

Jules Chéret's poster for the Musée Grévin's "Black Magic" show conjures a world of illusion and spectacle. The magician, Professor Carmelli, stands as a master of ceremonies, gesturing towards a levitating skull and a rabbit emerging from a hat. These are potent symbols. The skull, a memento mori, has long served as a reminder of mortality across cultures, from ancient Roman triumphs to Renaissance vanitas paintings. But here, it is not a symbol of solemn contemplation; it is a theatrical prop, robbed of its gravity, becoming part of an entertainment. Likewise, the rabbit, often linked to fertility and new beginnings, undergoes a transformation. From ancient mythologies to modern stagecraft, the act of pulling a rabbit out of a hat plays on our fascination with the unexpected, even the impossible. This poster, with its playful manipulation of enduring symbols, shows the cyclical nature of imagery. We see how deep-seated anxieties and desires resurface, adapted and reinterpreted to captivate new audiences. The collective subconscious is a powerful force.