Feb 20 at 10:30 AM - Sale 2695 -

Sale 2695 - Lot 12

Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200

JULES CHÉRET (1836-1932)

ALCAZAR D'ETÉ / LOUISE BALTHY. 1893.

48x34¼ inches, 122x87 cm. Chaix, Paris.
Condition B+: repaired tears at edges and along folds; minor losses at corners and edges; creases and abrasions in image and along vertical and horizontal folds; small foxing spots in upper image.

Louise Bidard (1865-1925) came to Paris from the Basque region of France, and adopted the stage name Louise Balthy in 1886, when she began to perform at the Alcazar d'Eté. A singer with a strong personality and a unique act of humorous songs, she quickly rose to prominence and earned top billing at all of Paris' major music halls. Her unusual high hairdo combined with her long nose made her an irresistible subject for caricaturists and cartoonists. Both Toulouse-Lautrec and Leonetto Cappiello left behind excellent drawings of her. Jules Chéret, who was a poster designer, not a portraitist, interprets her appearance only through her black hair (rare for a Cherette), and captures the spirit of the performer, as the movement suggests her eclectic dancing.

Broido 173, Maindron 153, Spectacle 828, Cheret 219, Cappiello / Rennert 31C.
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