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Le Grand Siècle de l’Affiche · The Masters
Tournée du Chat Noir
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen · French entertainment poster, Tournée du Chat Noir, 1896
What it is
Steinlen’s poster advertising a touring revue from the Chat Noir cabaret, the black cat arched and staring straight out at the street.
Why it matters
The Chat Noir was Montmartre’s own cultural engine, and Steinlen’s cat became one of the most recognized images to come out of it — advertising art indistinguishable from fine art.
What to notice
The cat’s eyes are the whole composition’s center of gravity — everything else is texture around that stare.
A mascot that outlived the cabaret it advertised.
Provenance
- School
- Belle Époque — the Affiche (France)
- Designer
- Théophile Alexandre Steinlen
- Printer / house
- lithograph
- Format
- One-sheet
- Poster published
- French entertainment poster, Tournée du Chat Noir, 1896
- Source
- Wikimedia Commons
Rights: CLEAR. Public domain — U.S. 95-year rule (published 1930 or earlier). Gated by the poster’s own publication year. Cleared by registry on 2026-07-17.
Format
The full-resolution, color-managed file — restored honestly, yours to print and keep.
Size
$29.00
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