Quotes that I love: Henri Matisse

A Decorator's Life: Women in Art

The first to recognize the need for beauty was Elsie De Wolfe (1865-1950). The Victorian Age was in need of her interior design aesthetic which was light, fresh and delicate.  One of the major influences on Elsie's career was her trip to France and the study of the Parisian entertainment life.  Jules Cheret's posters of whimsy that targeted women's fashion and femininity were sure to inspire.  This new form of art that decorated the streets of Paris during the modern 19th century France brought forth the women in advertising as their liberation as individuals began to emerge within the then very gender separate public sphere.  Enjoy these decorative celebrations of the golden ages of posters by chromo-lithography master Jules Cheret and the women who represented them!

"The Scam" A book poster

What did it mean being a woman in Paris during the 19th century?  How are the gender roles represented in art and are these representations accurate?  The most interesting illustrations of Parisian life are the lithographic posters of advertisements attributed to Jules Cheret, the father of the poster.  The 'real world' of bourgeois society had a clear distinction between genders and their roles in public and private spaces.  Men had freedom to appear equally in both public and private areas, whereas women were subjected to a domestic and private role.  It is of no surprise then to see women in the spotlight of most of the posters to feed the hunger of the male dominated voyeuristic public eye.

  

So, why do we see an equal number of men and women in this Jules Cheret poster?  Still we need to notice that the prominent figure giving a squeakish smirk is female!  Well, the French would understand from the title that this was an illustration for a book about people living in the fast lane written by Felicien Champsaur titled 'La Gomme' or a scam and le gommeux referring to swells or a cheap dandy... Well the dandies here are in their top hats frolicking around with women attached to their waists (prostitutes?), but who is deceiving who? That fiery redheaded female, tipping her feather hat, so much cleavage she could easily expose herself....but does she want to "expose" herself?  We will never know unless we read the book!!!

The History of the Poster

Where did the poster originate?  How did it survive?  Who were the Fathers of the poster, advertisements, and the art behind it?  What were they advertising? What were the social and political issues during this time?  What was the Belle Epoque?  

All my questions are answered in this creatively illustrated video by Yaneff Designs.