Tournée du Chat Noir avec Rodolphe Salis – Théophile Steinlen

Artist: Théophile Steinlen (Swiss-born French, 1859–1923)
Date: Original design 1896 (Current piece is a later edition/reproduction)
Medium: Lithograph (or Offset Lithograph)
Dimensions: Approx. 55 x 39 inches (Large Folio)

This iconic poster, titled Tournée du Chat Noir avec Rodolphe Salis, is perhaps the most famous image of the Art Nouveau era. Created to advertise a tour of performers from Le Chat Noir, the first modern cabaret in the Montmartre district of Paris, it was designed by Théophile Steinlen, a resident of the area known for his obsession with cats. The image features a defiant, stylized black cat perched on a red ledge against a stark yellow background. The cat’s head is framed by a decorative halo containing the text “Montjoye Montmartre,” a medieval battle cry repurposed to signify bohemian pride. Steinlen’s use of bold, flat colors and thick outlines shows the strong influence of Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e) on French graphic arts during the “Belle Époque.”