L'affichomania ─ The Passion for French Posters

Bright and bold and found everywhere in fin-de-siecle Paris, the poster was a brilliant fusion of art and commerce. New printing methods made it possible to distribute and post fantastic, full-color prints spurring both artists and advertisers to take advantage of these public canvases. During its golden age in Paris, the poster was acclaimed for enlivening city streets, even as it was decried for its raucous colors, overt commodification, sexualized female figures, and oversized imagery. Collectors raced to snap up these ephemeral art pieces sparking a frenzied demand dubbed affichomanie,complete with its own experts and specialized publications containing small-scale prints for the home.

L’Affichomania: The Passion for French Posters is a lavishly illustrated collection of these posters focusing on the work of five masters: Jules Cheret, the acknowledged founder of the field, Eugene Grasset, Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen, Alphonse Mucha, and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec. All are drawn from the collection of Richard H. Driehaus. As reprints of these posters still adorn walls from coffee shops to dorm rooms, it’s clear that we’re still very much caught up inaffichomania.

Jeannine Falino, formerly curator of decorative arts and sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is now an independent curator specializing in decorative arts. Her books includeCrafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design and American Luxury: Jewels from the House of Tiffany.