Poster for Le Chat Noir: La march à l'Étoile
1894
Medium
stencil-colored photorelief in black and yellow on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 55 x 39.7 cm (21 5/8 x 15 5/8 in.) sheet: 60 x 42 cm (23 5/8 x 16 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Given in Memory of Martin Atlas by his Friends
Accession Number
2011.13.1
Art Historical Context
Created in 1894 by Henri Rivière, this striking poster promoted events at Le Chat Noir, the legendary Montmartre cabaret that served as a gathering place for artists, writers, and performers during Paris’s Belle Époque. The title “La marche à l’Étoile” suggests a themed procession or shadow-theater production, reflecting the cabaret’s playful spirit and innovative entertainments that captivated audiences of the era. Rivière’s use of stencil-colored photorelief printing—combining photographic processes with hand-applied color through stencils—allowed for bold, graphic effects on a modest scale...
About the Artist
Henri Rivière
Henri Rivière (1864-1951) stands as a pioneering figure in European printmaking, particularly recognized as the father of color lithography and color woodcut techniques in the West. Born in Paris during the Second Empire, Rivière achieved distinction in two distinct artistic realms: as the creator of innovative shadow theater performances at the legendary Chat Noir cabaret, and as a printmaker who...