CHAPTER V.--IN FRANCE: THE WORK OF GUILLAUME, PALEOLOGUE, CHOU-BRAC BOUTET DE MONVEL, AMAN-JEAN, SCHWAEBE, SINET, JOSSOT, MAYET, AND OTHERS

Prominent among the French designers of posters with whom I have not previously dealt is Guillaume, an artist widely known in England by reason of the admirable illustrations which, from time to time, appear in our periodicals. Save ChÉret and Choubrac, few artists have done so much poster work as Guillaume, and not many have maintained so high a level of accomplishment. Vigour, vivacity, and high spirits, rather than beautiful design and fine colour, are the characteristic qualities of posters by Guillaume. He is, it seems to me, seen at his best in the admirable "Extrait de Viande Armour," which is reproduced here. In its way, and looking to the thing to be advertised, nothing better has been done. The gigantic "strong man," with his huge torso, colossal arms and legs, holding a tiny teacup in his immense hands, is not easily forgotten. The expression on the man's face is inimitable, and the accessories, such as cannons and dumbbells, are most appropriately chosen. The "Chapeaux l'elion" is a more complicated design, representing a crowd of men wearing hats of every conceivable shape. The colour of this design is very good, but its chief merit lies in the facial expression of the different members of the crowd. It would be impossible to conceive any single person in a hat other than the one he is wearing. In another excellent poster we are presented with a very fin-de-siÈcle young lady riding astride a stork which bears her rapidly through space. It would be hopeless to attempt anything like a complete list of Guillaume's posters, but among the most recent are the following, all of which deserve the attention of the collector: "Dentifrices du Dr. Bonn," "Gigolette," "Old England," "Le PÔle Nord," "Cycles Vincent fils," "Le Vin d'Or" (in two sizes, unsigned), "Parfumerie Diaphane; le Diaphane Sarah Bernhardt," "L'ouvre de Rabelais par J. Gamier," and "Ducreux et Giralduc (Ambassadeurs)".

Although a Frenchman, the work of Jean de Paleologue, or "Pal," as he is more frequently called, is perhaps better known to the Londoner than to the Parisian. His

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bright and flippant posters can be seen any day on the London hoardings, and I have, therefore, purposely selected for reproduction two examples in his less usual manner. The "Lucile Wraim" is of an elegance to which Paleologue does not often attain, and would be distinguished in almost any collection of posters. "The Euskal Jai Parisien," besides being a good advertisement, is curious on account of its subject. Collectors who would possess a more typical example of Paleologue's work would be well advised to secure one or more of his music-hall series or his "Cabourg," an advertisement for the watering-place of that name. It is a large lithograph in five colours, and represents a very charming lady who, while bathing, is bent upon displaying her charms to the utmost. While Paleologue can in no sense be compared to ChÉret in his gift of diffusing joyousness and gaiety, his work is undoubtedly "chic," and rarely fails in its first business of advertisement. Some of his posters have become difficult to procure, notably one designed for a Drury Lane pantomime some few years since.

No artist, save Jules ChÉret, has been more indefatigable in the making of posters than Choubrac. The list given in M. Maindron's book is a long one; that given in the catalogues of M. Sagot is still longer. The posters of Choubrac do not seem to have received so much attention at the hands of collectors as those of some of his better-known contemporaries. At the same time, not a few of them are interesting and rare. The bill done for the "Fin de SiÈcle" was suppressed, and, as a consequence, is in great demand. It exists in four states, three of which, in good condition, command no less than fifty francs. Merely to give the names of the music-halls and theatres for which Choubrac has worked would take up the better part of a page, while a list of the artistes whom he has advertised would be still longer. Amongst the most noticeable of his recent bills are the following: "Eldorado. Y'a pas d'erreur," "Folies BergÈre. Armand Ary," "Folies BergÈre. Programme," "Folies Dramatiques. Miss Robinson," "Moulin Rouge. Au Joyeux," "Neuilly-sur-Seine. FÊte des fleurs," and "GaietÉ. Rosa et Josepha" (in two states).

An artist more unlike Choubrac than Maurice Boutet de Monvel it would be assuredly impossible to find, and the fact that these names are in juxtaposition must be taken as proof that no systematic arrangement has been attempted in this chapter. Boutet de Monvel is a painter of European reputation. His fame as an illustrator for, and a delineator of, children stands very high. His studies of child-life are unlike those of any other artist. They display the keenest observation and, as Mr. Pennell has rightly observed, one finds in them not a line without

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meaning. Boutet de Monvel has, I believe, produced only three posters. Two of them are among the most charming things seen on the Paris hoardings for

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many a long day. Both of these are comparatively small. That which is earlier in date, "Petite Poucette," was originally designed as a cover for a piece of music, but, when reproduced on a larger scale, was found to be thoroughly effective as a poster. More dainty, if not more characteristic of the art of Boutet de Monvel, is the "PÂte Dentifrice du Dr. Pierre." In this design, one of the prettiest and most delightful little ladies in the whole Monvel gallery of pretty little ladies insists on the merit of the tooth-paste which, if it be half as good as she is charming, must be excellent indeed. Every artist knows his own business best, but one can only hope that, in what leisure he can snatch from his work in paint and illustration, Boutet de Monvel will place the collector of posters under new obligations to him. His note as a decorator of the hoardings is as distinct as it is agreeable.

A very interesting figure in modern design is undoubtedly Carloz SchwÆbe. One of the leading lights of that curious institution the "Salon Rose + Croix," it would indeed be curious if SchwÆbe did anything commonplace. His posters are as remarkable as those other productions with which he has delighted some and puzzled not a few. Mystic, slightly archaic, they are the work of a man of poetical temperament who has chosen the graphic arts instead of literature as his means of expression. The two posters from his hand are very decorative in their strange way, and contain passages of great beauty. In the

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kneeling woman is remarkably impressive, while the irises amidst which she kneels are beautifully drawn. The lettering of this poster is most original, and the designer has evidently taken great pains with it. It is a lithograph in two colours, and measures forty-two and a half by thirty-one and a half inches. SchwÆbe's larger poster, the "Salon Rose + Croix," is in one colour only, and is a good example of his work. So far this curiously-gifted artist has confined himself to advertising a concert and a picture show; it is not to be expected that he will ever condescend to soap or extract of beef. Another of the Rose + Croix men, Aman-Jean, has done a poster for the Salon which rivals in curiosity the productions of SchwÆbe himself.

A little advertisement which had, it may well be, some influence on the poster movement in England, was that by which AndrÉ Sinet advertised an exhibition of his own works held at the Goupil Gallery in 1893. This was an attractive little bit of design of which the colour was very agreeable. In addition to it, Sinet has done the inevitable poster for Yvette Guilbert. Another painter of talent who has made an advertisement for an exhibition of his own work is H. GuÉrard. It represents a group of ravens and is in poker work. It would appear to be rare, as it is quoted in none of the catalogues. A copy, exhibited at the Aquarium in 1894, is in the collection of Mr. Ernest Hart. Still another artist who

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has, I believe, done only one poster, is Goissaud. His design was to advertise the "SociÉtÉ des miniaturistes et enlumineurs de France," and is a lithograph in one colour. Among the Salon des Cent series we have, besides the admirable posters of Grasset and Ibels already alluded to, a very grotesque and effective little design by Jossot. It represents an amazing old gentleman of weird aspect, in cocked hat, paying his franc for admission to the exhibition. Of its kind it is effective enough. Another, by Cazoly, with a curious portrait of Paul Verlaine is reproduced here.

It is certainly with no view to hurt the feelings of those artists whose names do not head this chapter that they are represented by a mere et cetera. It must be understood that one of the least polite of contractions, in this case, involves no discourtesy whatsoever.

For example, I may instance such able work as GrÜn's "Le Carillon: cabaret artistique." Few posters are more vivid or more actual than this. The price of it is a matter of pence, and it should certainly not be neglected by those whom it amuses to collect the affiche illustrÉ. GrÜn, in addition to "Le Carillon," has produced "PolÉon-Revue: DÉcadent's Concert," and in addition a design for an insurance company. One of the most charming of the more recent French posters is one by H. Gray, dealing with "La PrÉtentaine," a play produced some time ago at the Nouveau ThÉÂtre. In addition he has advertised "La Bonita" at the Cirque d'EtÉ, "Les Mousquetaires," at the same place, "Les Saltimbanques" at the Cirque d'Hiver, and the bal masquÉ at the ThÉÂtre de l'OpÉra. The last is perhaps the best known of his affiches. Among others, Bac has done a poster for Yvette Guilbert at the Horloge, which is signed and dated 1892. The bicycling craze has called into existence a perfect torrent of posters, and Bac, together with Gray, Guillaume, Lunel, and Paleologue, have produced posters of more or less interest. A gentleman who is sufficiently modest not to state his name, did a design which called forth the wrath of the authorities. Whereupon an artist called Lepur designed an affiche bearing the significant legend, of which this is a translation: "Grand choice of vine-leaves (fig-leaves) of all sizes for posters, as demanded by the virtuous journals, the 'T(emps '), the 'G(aulois '), and the 'D(Ébats ')."

The following is a list, with the names of typical examples of their work, of some other French artists of distinction who have designed posters: Barbizet ("La branche cassÉe"), Bouisset (F.) ("Bazar de l'HÔtel-de-Ville," "Exposition de jouets," "Chocolat Menier"), Desicy (H.) ("Un hÉritage, roman"), Dutriac ("Ambassadeurs: Danseuses Espagnols"), Faria ("Ba-ta-clan: [Illustration: 0189] Paulus"), Dufay ("Portrait,") ("Les Rey Nol's)," Galice (G.) ("Concert parisien: Esther Lekain," "FÊte des Fleurs," "Paulan BrÉbion," "Scala: Jeanne Bloch"), Guydo ("Eldorado: AimÉe Eymard"), Honer ("Concert parisien: Bonnaire"), Hope ("GaietÉ: Tour de Nesle"), Huvey ("Gras-side"), Lamy (L.) ("Le capitaine Henriot, opÉra comique," "ThÉÂtre national lyrique"), LebÉgue (L.) ("Bals travestes et tableaux vivants"), LefÈvre (L.) ("Cacao lactÉ," "Electricine," "L'hiver À Nice"), Levy (E.) ("ChÂtelet Michel Strogoff," "Cirque d'Hiver: Caravane dans le dÉsert," "Folies BergÈre: Vue de la salle," "Petit national: Le prince Mouffetard"), Meunier (G.) ("Papier À cigarettes Job," "Parfumerie EdÉa," "Le Sahara À Paris: Champ de Mars"), Truchet (A.) ("Cabaret des Quat'z' Arts," "Eldorado: Alice Berthier.")

It will have been noticed already how great apart the music-hall and the cafÉ chantant play in the history of the pictorial poster. Yvette Guilbert has been the cause of a baker's dozen of affiches; Anna Thibaud (that charming singer of the songs of BÉranger); Anna Held, with her curious manner, and still more curious appearance; IrÈne Henri, of intense personality; Jane Avril, and May Belfort; to say nothing of Aristide Bruant, of Caudieux, of Paulus, and the rest of the school who have made the music-hall stage of France a matter of no small importance

in her social life, have been favourite subjects of the designers of posters. It has always been held that the career of an actor, in consideration of its evanescence, is not

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without a certain pathos. It is true that we remember, through the gossip of their friends, Garrick and Mrs. Siddons, Talma and Rachel, but even these are uncertain phantoms lingering in the haze of memory. Only yesterday they were intensely actual, to-day they are not more real than Burbage and Betterton. After all, the history of the actor's art is not without its immortals. Macaulay's schoolboy could doubtless have related the compliment of Dr. Johnson to Mrs. Siddons: the latest escapade of the great Sarah is the joy of the paragrapher. The music-hall, however, has still no artist in any country (save, perhaps, the unforgettable Yvette) who has much chance of permanent remembrance. But when the toil and moil of existence is ended, when the singer has sung his last song, it may chance that he will be remembered because some collector of such unconsidered trifles as picture posters has placed in his portfolio a work of ChÉret or of Lautrec.

To turn from the music-halls to the great railway companies is an emphatic transition, and yet the former, no less than the latter have done much to encourage the artist to apply his talent to the affiche. The Great Western Railway Company have illustrated at their stations and in their carriages, by means of photography, all that is romantic and interesting in the country through which their line runs. And, again, the great lines of the United States have brought into vogue vast systems of pictorial advertisement. Their opportunity was undoubtedly a magnificent one. For subject

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matter they had some of those vast natural developments which appeal to mere man as absolutely terrific. The waterfall, splashing itself into luminous dust, the immense and silent mountains, the lakes which are seas, the vasty canons which occur in different parts of the States, inevitably appeal to the imagination. It is therefore not wonderful that the great lines of America have preferred literal and exact illustration to fantastic delineation. The railways of France, on the other hand, have employed to no inconsiderable extent the artist to figure the beauties of the places at which they have stations. Amongst the most important French designers who have worked at the railway affiche are:-Fraipont (G.): ("Chemin de fer de l'Etat: Bains de mer de Royan": "Royan sur l'OcÉan," "Chemin de fer d'OrlÉans: Excursions en Tou-raine": "Excursions en Touraine et aux chÂteaux des bords de la Loire," "Chemin de fer de l'Ouest: Argenteuil À Mantes," "Cie de l'Ouest et de Brighton: Fleurs, fruits, primeurs À destination de Londres," "Paris À Londres (L'Angleterre et l'Ecosse)" "Chemin de fer du Nord: Excursions À la mer," "Chemin de fer de l'Est: Royat," "Chemin de fer de l'Ouest: Bretagne, Normandie," "Normandie et Bretagne," "Chemin de fer de l'Ouest À Brighton: Paris À Londres," "Chemin de fer du Nord: Anvers, Exposition universelle.") Ochoa: ("Club Train," "MÉditerranÉe," "Express (Cie Int. des wagons-lits)," "Orient-Express," "Peninsular-Express"). Hugo d'AlÉsi (affiches simili-aquarelles): "Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, AlgÉrie," "GenÈve," "L'hiver À Nice," (two subjects), "Lac de Thoune," "Mont Revard," "Le Mont Rose," "Le Puy," "Tunisie," "La Turbie," "Uriage-les-Bains," "Chemin de fer du Midi: PyrÉnÉes," "Chemin de fer d'OrlÉans: Excursions en Auvergne" (1894), "La Creuse et l'Indre," "Chemin de fer de l'Ouest: Dieppe," "L'Auvergne (OrlÉans)." LefÈvre (L.): "Nord. EtÉ a Cobourg," "OrlÉans Excursions aux PyrÉnÉes," "Bains de mer du Golfe de Gascogne," "Ouest Excursions sur les cÔtes de Normandie, en Bretagne, et À l'Île de Jersey." Among other designers for French railway companies and watering-places may be named Orazi, whose "Trouville" poster is reproduced on p. 181, Balzer, Baylac, Japhet, and OgÉ.

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