Featured Maitres De L'Affiche - Pl.27 Gismonda-Sarah Bernhardt

I found this in an antique mall 10 years ago.It was shrink wrapped on a mat board & still had the original London price sticker on the back (20-25 pounds).
The current seller had it marked for $17.50,needless to say I bought it.

 

((drool)) I'd have nabbed it too. Mucha for pennies? I'm in!

 

It's a beautiful image, but this stuff was very popular, and much reproduced, in the '60s.

 

This is info from an AbeBooks entry:

Maitres de l'Affiche (Masters of the Poster) refers to 256 colour lithographic plates used to create an art publication during the Belle Époque in Paris, France. The collection, based on the original works of ninety-seven artists in a smaller 11 x 15 inch format, was put together by Jules Cheret, the father of poster art. The varied selection of prints was sold in packages of four and delivered monthly to subscribers. On sixteen occasions during the selling period between December 1895 through November 1900, the monthly package included a bonus of a specially created lithograph.

In 1895, Jules Cheret (1836-1932) created the Maîtres de l'Affiche collection, a significant art publication of smaller sized posters featuring the best works of ninety-seven Parisian artists. His success inspired an industry that saw the emergence of a new generation of poster designers and painters such as Charles Gesmar and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

What size is your print?

 

This is a blast from the past reminiscence.It was an original plate from the Maîtres de l'Affiche collection by Cheret.I sold it on Ebay abt 15 yrs ago to a buyer in Vegas for $1200.
Today I think they run $1800-$2500,so considering inflation I still feel pretty good w/ the profit.
PS-Most of the truly astounding deals (for me anyway) were buys I made in the late 70's thru the early 2000's.
It's gotten a might crowded out there now !

 

Too many punters chasing too little glory.

 

That's it in a nutshell Evely,like a damned Beatles concert out there now.