Les Maîtres de l'affiche

From December 1895 to November 1900, at the height of poster mania, the famous Chaix printing house – exclusive publisher of Jules Chéret's posters – embarked on an ambitious project: to publish a monthly selection of four poster reproductions in reduced format (39.5 x 29 cm) for enthusiasts of the genre.

Accompanied by original compositions, the complete series of Maîtres de l'affiche contains 256 images, lithographed with the utmost care on fine vellum, which are compiled annually in prestigious bound collections, five volumes in total. This veritable anthology brings together the finest French and foreign posters. The works reproduced are by 97 artists, from the most famous French poster artists (Chéret - very widely represented - Toulouse-Lautrec, Mucha, Grasset, Bonnard, Pal, Steinlein, Vallotton, etc.) to international masters such as Hyland Ellis, the Beggarstaff brothers, Louis-John Rhead, Dudley-Hardy and Hazenplug.

Reproduced in full in facsimile, based on the superb original edition held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, this anthology of Art Nouveau illustration is accompanied by a book of commentary with detailed notes on each of the posters.