[Chigasaki City Museum of Art] Masterpieces of poster art by Mucha, Toulouse-Lautrec, and others gathered! "Sparkle of Fin-de-Siècle Paris - Mucha, Chéret, and Toulouse-Lautrec through the OGATA Collection" opens

In the late 19th century, Paris entered a golden age of culture known as the "Belle Époque" (Beautiful Era). Against the backdrop of industrial development, various cultures and arts such as fine arts, performing arts, music, and literature flourished, bringing art closer to ordinary people than ever before. Amidst this, the Art Nouveau style, characterized by its flowing curves and botanical patterns, emerged in decorative arts. The 1900 Paris World's Fair was an emblematic event for this. Additionally, the Industrial Revolution brought rapid advances in printing technology, leading to colorful posters being displayed throughout the city.

In particular, Alphonse Mucha, a Czech native, created posters that fused elegant female portraits with Art Nouveau-style ornamentation, brilliantly coloring the streets of Paris. Although these posters were advertisements, they opened up new realms of artistic expression.

This exhibition introduces works from the OGATA Collection by the masters who laid the foundations of poster art, including Mucha, Jules Chéret, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. We invite you to enjoy these works that convey the sparkle of fin-de-siècle Paris.

Chapter 1: Trends of "Art Nouveau"
In late 19th-century Europe, Art Nouveau, a new decorative art, was born and developed in various fields, from posters and architecture to crafts. Mucha combined botanical curves, a feature of Art Nouveau, with elegant female portraits. Following the production of the poster for the play "Gismonda" starring actress Sarah Bernhardt in 1894, he became the darling of the era. Mucha's sophisticated designs strongly attracted people, and he worked on various commercial posters, advertisements, and package designs. Gradually, he expanded his work to include decorative panels to adorn interiors, linking art with daily living spaces.

Chapter 2: Masters of Posters
Before Mucha's emergence, posters were already widely popular as part of the urban landscape. Chéret depicted the bright, glamorous, light, and modern city of Paris, while Toulouse-Lautrec expressed the people of Montmartre with sharp lines and bold deformations. Their works gained popularity and became objects of collection. "Les Maîtres de l'Affiche" (Masters of Posters), published by Chéret in 1895 (Imprimerie Chaix) featuring reduced-size poster reproductions, became a turning point in positioning posters as art.

Chapter 3: Star of the Belle Époque - Sarah Bernhardt
In Paris at the end of the 19th century, Sarah Bernhardt was a symbol of the performing arts. Known for her exceptional acting ability and charisma, she also displayed various talents by engaging in sculpture and painting herself, and is known for discovering the talents of Mucha and René Lalique. Leading her own troupe and carrying out overseas performances, she was the "star" born of the Belle Époque.

Chapter 4: Another Sparkle - Independence of the Motherland
Mucha was born in what is now the Czech Republic and gained fame in Paris. Despite his success, he held onto thoughts of his homeland under Habsburg rule. In his later years, he undertook the production of his masterpiece, "The Slav Epic," depicting the history and spirit of his people as a grand series. After independence was achieved as the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Mucha contributed significantly to the image formation of the new nation by designing its national emblem, banknotes, and stamps.