Musée Grévin souvenir de l'exposition 1890

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An emblem of the Belle Époque's fascination with the exotic, this original 1890 poster by Jules Chéret—often called the father of the modern poster—captures the spirit of late 19th -century Paris through vivid color, whimsy, and imperial pageantry. Commissioned as a souvenir for the Musée Grévin's colonial exhibition on Annam (modern-day Vietnam), the work blends spectacle and propaganda with Chéret's trademark effervescent style. Set against a bright, theatrical background, Chéret’s lithograph radiates movement and curiosity. Annamite figures in traditional costume are stylized for Parisian audiences, surrounded by rich decorative flourishes. This image is less a faithful ethnographic record than a romanticized tableau—a colorful window into how France imagined its colonial subjects at the time. This piece exemplifies Chéret’s pioneering use of the three-stone lithographic process, which enabled a riot of color long before full-color printing became standard. His ability to transform advertising into an art form helped elevate posters into collector-worthy treasures. By the 1890s, the Musée Grévin had become a fixture of Parisian entertainment, combining waxworks, ethnographic displays, and theatrical spectacle. This poster doesn’t just advertise an event—it reflects the cultural attitudes of its time: fascination with the “Orient,” confidence in colonial power, and a hunger for visual stimulation. Beyond its graphic brilliance, this poster is a powerful cultural document—one that reveals the aesthetics, ambitions, and contradictions of fin-de-siècle France. It also helped define what we now consider modern visual advertising. Exhibition - Colony - Thailand - Annamites Printed by Chaix in Paris Good condition, slight restorations Show more