244 - CHARLES LÉANDRE

CHARLES LÉANDRE POSTER FOR THE CABARET “LA LUNE ROUSSE”. CHARLES LÉANDRE (1862 - 1934) FRANCE, PARIS, 1904. A large-format artistic poster for the Parisian cabaret “La Lune Rousse”, created by the French artist and caricaturist Charles Léandre in 1904. The composition represents a characteristic example of Belle Époque poster art and reflects the combination of satirical graphic language, theatrical imagery and the decorative aesthetics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the center of the composition is a theatrical encounter between a young woman and an elderly man. The female figure, dressed in an elegant evening gown and a feathered hat, is seated on a cabaret table in a deliberately theatrical pose. Opposite her stands a corpulent elderly gentleman dressed in a black tailcoat, holding a top hat in his hand. His figure is rendered in a distinctly caricatural manner with exaggerated plasticity and a dramatic gesture of the head thrown back. The composition is constructed on a striking contrast between the light, elegant silhouette of the woman and the heavy, comic presence of the man. In the upper part of the sheet appears the smiling face of the moon - the symbolic emblem of the cabaret “La Lune Rousse”. This imaginative motif, surrounded by radiant beams, reinforces the atmosphere of Montmartre’s vibrant nightlife at the beginning of the 20th century. The decorative typography of the poster is executed in lettering characteristic of the Art Nouveau graphic language and is harmoniously integrated into the overall composition. The poster advertises the cabaret “La Lune Rousse”, located at 36 Boulevard de Clichy, Place Pigalle, one of the principal centers of Parisian bohemian life in the early twentieth century. In the lower part of the sheet appear the artist’s signature and date “C. Léandre 1904”, together with the imprint of the artistic printing house Établissements Minot, Paris, known for producing theatrical and cabaret posters. The lithograph was executed on paper and later reinforced by mounting onto a textile backing with a protective impregnation. This restoration practice was widely applied to large-format Belle Époque posters, allowing the fragile paper to be stabilized and preserved. Dimensions: Height 140 cm, width 104 cm. Material: Lithograph on paper, mounted on textile backing with protective impregnation. Condition: Good. The paper shows a natural age-related tone. Old fold marks and light edge wear are visible, typical for large-format posters of the early 20th century. Traces of moisture exposure are present on the left side of the sheet. Provenance: France, Paris. Width: 104cm, Height: 140cm, Depth: 0.1cm, Weight: 0.5kg, Condition: Some lacks, Material: Paper, Fabric, ID: ID-ANTQ-16401