Folies-Bergère Possibly 1900

Leonetto Cappiello created this poster for the Folies-Bergère in an era when Parisian nightlife was both celebrated and scrutinized. Cappiello, an Italian artist working in France, captured the vibrant spirit of the cabaret through bold colors and simplified forms. This image presents a woman performing, her dress a swirl of pink against a bright yellow background. The Folies-Bergère was known for its spectacular revues, but it also existed in a complex social landscape. These venues were spaces where class, gender, and sexuality were on display. Cappiello’s poster does not shy away from the spectacle of the music hall, yet it also offers a glimpse into the labor and performance required of these women. The joy is palpable. Ultimately, this poster reflects the excitement and the underlying tensions of a society grappling with new forms of entertainment and expression and forces us to reckon with the stories and the complex, lived realities of those who shaped it.