Modern posters date back to the 1870s, when color lithography and mass printing were first developed to a high level. Artists like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Jules Chéret thrived during that period, as the mechanization of art production allowed them to disperse their work to the masses. Above is a beautiful advertising lithograph by the French artist who billed himself as Pierre O’Kley but was in reality Pierre Gilardeau, painted for the famed Moulin Rouge. The club had been a hot spot in the city of Paris since 1898 partly due to the popularity of the high-kicking can-can dance, which is what this poster celebrates. It has various copyright dates if you look online, ranging from 1956 to 1959, though the original canvas was probably lost long ago. O’Kley is someone we’ll revisit later.
