Omslag voor Les Affiches Illustrées door Ernest Maindron 1896

Jules Chéret created this cover for Ernest Maindron’s *Les Affiches Illustrées* using lithography, a technique that democratized art through mass production, in the late 19th century. During the Belle Époque, Paris was awash with posters like these, transforming the city into a vibrant, open-air gallery. Cherét, often hailed as the father of the modern poster, captured the ebullience of the era, with its burgeoning entertainment industry. Note how Chéret’s design features women, “Chérettes,” who embodied the period's ideals of feminine beauty and liberation, yet were also commodified as symbols of consumer culture. These images blur the lines between empowerment and objectification. The design also reflects the cultural fascination with performance and spectacle. In this image, figures dance across the page, inviting us into a world of fantasy. Chéret’s posters were both a reflection of and a contribution to the changing social landscape, capturing the complicated dance between art, commerce, and identity.