Les Maîtres de l'Affiche

Les Maîtres de l'Affiche, meaning “Masters of the Poster,” was a French art-publication series issued in Paris from December 1895 through November 1900. It assembled high-quality color lithographic reproductions of poster designs associated with the flourishing advertising and graphic-arts culture of the Belle Époque. The project was edited by Jules Chéret, a pioneering figure in modern poster art, and presented the work of 97 artists. The collection comprised 256 plates. Rather than reproducing the posters at their original street-advertising scale, the publication presented them in a more manageable format of approximately 40 by 29 centimeters. This reduction made important examples of commercial and theatrical poster design available as collectible art prints and allowed subscribers to store the works in a structured publication rather than encounter them only as ephemeral advertisements in public spaces. The series operated through a subscription model. Sets of four prints were distributed monthly, creating a regular relationship with collectors and art enthusiasts. On 16 occasions during the publication period, a monthly issue also contained a bonus lithograph specially created for the series. This format combined serial publishing, print collecting, and art reproduction, helping establish the poster as an object worthy of preservation and aesthetic study. Its selection reflected the international character of late nineteenth-century poster design, although the project was produced within the artistic and commercial environment of Paris. The participating artists represented varied approaches to lithography, illustration, typography, and advertising composition. Chéret’s editorial role connected the publication to the development of the modern illustrated poster, while the series itself helped preserve designs that might otherwise have disappeared after their short commercial lives. Les Maîtres de l'Affiche is now primarily regarded as a historical print collection rather than an active consumer brand. Complete original sets are scarce collector’s items, and the work continues to be encountered through museums, libraries, auctions, digitized publications, and reproductions. A complete five-volume set sold at auction in 2014 for US$43,450, illustrating the continuing value placed on surviving original editions. The collection is also available for consultation through digital-library and image-archive resources.

Les Maîtres de l'Affiche emerged in Paris during the Belle Époque, a period when advances in color lithography, urban advertising, and mass print culture made the poster one of the most visible forms of modern graphic communication. Large posters had become a defining feature of city life, but their original function was temporary: they were pasted onto walls to promote performances, products, exhibitions, and commercial services, and were eventually covered or destroyed. The publication addressed this impermanence by turning selected poster designs into smaller, durable prints intended for private ownership. The series began in December 1895 under the editorship of Jules Chéret, whose work and advocacy were central to the development of modern poster art. Across its publication run, it reproduced designs associated with 97 artists and ultimately contained 256 color lithographic plates. The prints were issued at approximately 40 by 29 centimeters, a format suitable for portfolios, albums, and domestic display. The reduction in scale preserved the visual character of the original designs while making them practical for subscribers and collectors. Distribution followed a serial subscription model. Subscribers received monthly packages containing four prints. This recurring schedule gave the publication the character of both an illustrated periodical and a curated art collection. On 16 occasions between December 1895 and November 1900, the regular package also included an additional lithograph specially produced as a bonus. The combination of reproductions and occasional original material increased the appeal of the series and encouraged continued subscription. The artistic range of the collection reflected the diversity of poster production at the end of the nineteenth century. Its plates brought together different national and stylistic traditions within a single publication, allowing readers to compare approaches to composition, lettering, figure drawing, color, and commercial persuasion. In this context, the series did more than reproduce advertisements: it helped define the poster as a legitimate subject of collecting and graphic-art appreciation. The final issues appeared in November 1900, after which the series became a historical archive rather than an ongoing publication. The original material was preserved in complete and partial sets, individual plates, libraries, and private collections. Its five-volume structure has been especially important to collectors, and a complete original set sold at auction in 2014 for US$43,450. Modern access has been extended through digitization by cultural institutions and online image repositories, allowing the plates to be studied beyond the market for original prints. The project remains significant for documenting the international poster movement and for showing how a commercial art form was packaged, circulated, and canonized as collectible design.

• 2014

  Complete set sold at auction

  [1]Les Maîtres de l'Afficheen.wikipedia.org

  An original complete five-volume set sold for US$43,450, reflecting the collection's status as a sought-after historical print object.

• 1900

  Publication concludes

  [1]Les Maîtres de l'Afficheen.wikipedia.org

  The series ended in November 1900 after producing 256 plates and incorporating work by 97 artists.

• 1895

  Publication begins in Paris

  [1]Les Maîtres de l'Afficheen.wikipedia.org

  The first monthly issue of Les Maîtres de l'Affiche was released in December 1895 under the editorial direction of Jules Chéret.

• 1895

  Subscription distribution established

  [1]Les Maîtres de l'Afficheen.wikipedia.org

  The series adopted a recurring subscription format in which subscribers received four color lithographic plates each month.

A premium, subscription-based art-print publication that transformed ephemeral advertising posters into collectible and preservable works of graphic art.

• Serial art-print publication · 1895

  Les Maîtres de l'Affiche

  The core product was a five-volume series of 256 color lithographic plates reproducing poster designs by 97 artists. The prints were issued in a reduced format of approximately 40 by 29 centimeters, allowing subscribers to collect and display examples of Belle Époque poster art. Four plates were generally delivered each month, with 16 issues also containing a specially created bonus lithograph.

• 1895

  Launch of the subscription poster seriesProduct launch

  Background

  The project was introduced when poster design was becoming a prominent form of modern commercial and popular art, while original street posters remained temporary and difficult to collect.

  Action taken

  Jules Chéret edited a recurring publication of reduced-size color lithographs, sold in monthly packages of four prints to subscribers.

  Aftermath

  The format created a durable collector's edition of poster art and continued through November 1900, ultimately producing 256 plates.

  Source

1. 1Les Maîtres de l'Afficheen.wikipedia.org