THEOPHILE-ALEXANDRE STEINLEN (1859-1923) LE JOURNAL / LA TRAITE DES BLACNHES. 1899. 31x23 1/2 inches, 78 3/4x59 3/4 cm. Charle Verneau, Paris. Condition B+: minor restoration along vertical and horizontal folds. This poster is for a serialized version of a scandalous novel, White Slavery, which ferociously denounced prostitution. It was just the kind of project that Steinlen could use to express his progressive political sensitivity in an artistic manner. Steinlen, who shared the views of the author, Dubut de Laforest, created a powerful poster that used attention, detail and care to depict a fat, pretentious pimp ignoring three of his women. This is the smaller format censored version of the poster which originally featured the woman on the right with her breasts exposed. Steinlen was obliged by the French Prefecture of Police to go back to the printer and add a deshabille to the scandalous nudity. Crauzat no. 503, Bargiel & Zagrodzki no. 35 (variant D), DFP-II 793a, Wember 737, Schardt p. 151 (var), Wine Spectator pl. 111, Gold 90 (var).
