Jules Chéret (1836-1932) French, Large Lithograph Poster "La Diaphane". Jules Chéret’s La Diaphane is one of his quintessential Belle Époque posters, created to advertise a perfumed product of the same name. The work features a radiant, carefree woman—Chéret’s signature “Chérette”—dancing in a swirl of translucent fabric, embodying the lightness and allure suggested by the product’s name. Executed in Chéret’s hallmark style of vivid color lithography, the composition bursts with fluid motion and luminous tones of blue, yellow, and rose, giving the figure an ethereal glow. Like much of Chéret’s work, La Diaphane captures the spirit of fin-de-siècle Paris: elegant yet playful, modern yet dreamlike, turning a simple advertisement into a celebration of beauty and joie de vivre.

Overall Size: 51 x 35 x 1 3/4 in.
Sight Size: 48 x 33 in.

Jules Chéret (1836-1932) was a pioneering French artist and lithographer often regarded as the father of the modern poster. Trained in lithography and influenced by Rococo and Belle Époque aesthetics, Chéret revolutionized commercial art by elevating advertising posters into a respected art form. His vibrant, joyful designs—filled with dynamic figures, swirling movement, and radiant color—transformed Parisian streets into open-air galleries. Chéret’s posters for cabarets, theaters, and products like liquor and perfume celebrated modern life and particularly the liberated “Chérette,” his recurring image of the lively Parisian woman. His innovations in color lithography and design profoundly influenced later artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha.

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