The Belle Époque (the Beautiful Period) in France is conventionally dated from the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 to the the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was a period characterised by optimism, regional peace and economic prosperity, and of technological, scientific, and cultural innovation. Whilst showing key works from the Belle Epoque, I am including works from the fall-out of the period almost up to World War II, so as to put these works in context. Artists in the late 1800s found opportunities to present their work to the masses through advertising art that began to appear as billboards and posters, plastering the streets of Paris. “Affiche Artistique” was the term that the French used to describe a poster that contained artistic expression. The art was so impressive to the public, people began to collect the posters as soon as they went up, which is why they are so scarce today. Artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Chéret, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, and Alfred Choubrac, contributed to the creative body of work that became what some called “a free museum for the masses”. The craze for collecting these examples of modern art was even given the name, "affichomanie", meaning “artistic poster mania”. Collectors today pay hundreds, if not thousands for original prints of these rare posters. This is part 4 of a 9-part series on art of the Belle Epoque. For more works in the series see parts 1 - 3 also. HENRY PRIVAT-LIVEMONT ( 1861 - 1936 ) Henry Privat-Livemont was born in Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium in 1861. Known mainly as a poster artist, between 1883 and 1889 he worked and studied in the studios of Lemaire, Lavastre and Duvignaud. With Lemaire he created the decor of the Théâtre Français and the Hôtel de Ville, Paris. He later moved back to Brussels and worked on theatres and casinos there. 1890 Ameublement poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1895 Absinthe Robette poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1896 Bec Auer poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1896 Biscuits & Chocolat Delacre poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1896 Cabourg a 5 heures de Paris poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1896 Savon Cristel poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1896c Cercle Artistique de Schaerbeek poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1897 Bitter Original poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1897 International Exhibition Brussels poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1897 La Reforme, Le Masque Anarchiste poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1897 Le Vague (The Wave) by Henri Privat-Livemont 1897c J. C. Boldoot Eau de Cologne Parfumerie poster by Henri Privat-Livemont The Scent of a Rose by Henri Privat-Livemont 1898 Beaux-Arts 6e. Exposition Annuelle poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1898 Cover of The Poster magazine by Henri Privat-Livemont 1899 Helm Cacao poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1899 Henry à la Pensée, Paris poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1899 Rajah Coffee poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1900 Biscuits de Beukelaer poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1900 Cacao A. Driessen poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1900 P D Corsets poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1900 Palais de la Femme, Exposition de 1900 poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1901 Bols' poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1901 Orfèvrerie Miele & Co. poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1901 The Sculptress poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1901 Untitled poster design by Henri Privat-Livemont 1902 Michiels Frères Pépiniéristes Architectes de Jardins poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1903 6eme Exposition Internationale de L'Automobile du Cycle et des Sports poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1903 Automobile Club de France poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1903 Manfacture Royale de Corsets, Bruxells poster by Henri Privat-Livemont 1903 Untitled poster design by Henri Privat-Livemont 1903 Untitled poster design by Henri Privat-Livemont Le Bec Liais poster by Henri Privat-Livemont Rajah Tea and Coffee poster by Henri Privat-Livemont Stained Glass Window in Hotel Saintenoy, Brussels by Henri Privat-Livemont JEAN DE PALEOLOGU Jean de Paleologu ( Paleologue ) ( 1855 - 1942 ) was a Romanian poster artist, painter and illustrator acive in France and the United states. He often signed his work Pal of PAL. Born in Bucharest, he trained in England, then returned to Romania and attended a military academy, before visiting London again several times and moving to Paris more permanently. He left Paris for the United States in 1900. 1897 Folies-Bergère, La Loïe Fuller poster by Jean de Paléologu Folies Bergère, La Loïe Fuller, Tous les Soirs poster by Jean de Paleologu Folies-Bergère, La Loïe Fuller by Jean de Paléologu Folies-Bergère, La Loïe Fuller poster by Jean de Paléologu Folies-Bergère, La Loïe Fuller poster by Jean de Paléologu La Loïe Fuller 1897 Theatre de Opéra-Comique "Sapho" / Emma Calvé poster by Jean de Paleologu Emma Calvé Alcazar d' Été La Belle Otero poster by Jean de Paleologu La Belle Otéro Folies-Bergère poster by Jean de Paléologu * * * * * Folies Bergère, Les Demoieselles du XXe Siècle poster by Louis Trinquier Trianon Folies Bergère, Tous les Soirs, Americans 'Sings' and Dancers poster by Maurice Biais Folies-Bergère, Cléo de Mérode Cléo de Merode Folies-Bergère, Jane Derval Jane Derval Folies-Bergère, La Folie d'Amour poster by Michel Gyarmathy Folies-Bergère, Le Capitaine Costentenus Le Capitaine Costentenus ( where are the tattoos? ) Folies-Bergère, Maurel poster by Daniel de Losques Folies-Bergère, Napoli Ballet Pantomime Folies-Bergère, Ramoneurs Musicaux Folies-Bergère