Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923) - Lot 247

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923) Next Chat Noir tour with Rodolphe Salis. Poster. 1896. Lithographie.[980x1370mm]. Crauzat496. Printed in color. Exceptional proof on thin vellum, the colors very fresh, early canvas, covered with an important dispatch in pen and ink in the hand of Rodolphe Salis to the left of the cat's head: "A nostre bon amy / messire J. Hoche / in testimony of great sympathy / Rodolphe Salis / Or ainsi playra t il à nostre bon / camarade messire Hogge de m'excuser / de lui avoir plus haut orthographié / son nom ainsi que celui qui fut grand / general de la Révolution, mais aussy / le mérite t il par ses qualités / de stratégiste bicycliste / R. Salis". Small surface tear to the left of the word "avec". Old traces of folding with tiny fractures at the corners, notably causing very small misses in the cat's black coat. Small accidents, creases and tears at edges. Le Chat Noir was a famous Montmartre cabaret. It was founded in November 1881 by Rodolphe Salis (1851-1897) at 84 boulevard Rochechouart; it moved to 12 rue de Laval (now rue Victor Massé), on three floors, in 1885 and lasted until Salis's death in 1897. According to Montmartre legend, it was so named because Salis came across a black cat during its creation. The zinc sign, a black cat on a crescent moon, was designed by Willette. The poets and chansonniers who performed there attracted the whole of Paris. Aristide Bruant created his famous ballad "Le Chat Noir" in 1884. Artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Willette and Van Gogh frequented the venue, where Henri Rivière performed his shadow playlets. A weekly illustrated newspaper was produced on site. In the 1890s, Salis toured France and Belgium, renting out the theaters and halls where he performed - a novelty in those days. A colorful, loud-mouthed character, Salis was as renowned for his energy as he was for his penny-pinching. It was Steinlen, who had arrived from Lausanne in 1881-1882, had settled on rue Caulaincourt and was a great lover of cats, that Salis commissioned this poster of a majestic cat towering over the spectator, haloed by a kind of stained glass window inscribed with a parody of the famous medieval battle cry: "Montjoie Montmartre". The aesthetic is reminiscent of both Japanese prints and Henri Rivière's shadow theater.