The Musée d”Orsay exhibition, “L’art est dans la rue,” revisits French street posters with an exceptional collection of nearly 230 works, exploring the spectacular rise of the illustrated poster in Paris during the second half of the 19th century (until July 06, 2025). Organized in partnership with the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the exhibition brings together outstanding works by such “Maîtres de l’Affiche” as Bonnard, Chéret, Grasset, Mucha, Steinlen, and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Printed propaganda had flourished during the French Revolution. But from the mid-19th century onwards cities (particularly Paris) witnessed a new type of poster…eye-catchingly big, bold and colourful. Coinciding with the rise of consumerism, the illustrated poster —embraced by the artistic avant-garde— accompanied vast French social changes and metamorphosis of urban spaces.
This exhibition explores the roots of a phenomenon that was not just artistic and technical, but also urban, economic, social and political. With a unique collection of works, the Musée d’Orsay show demonstrates how these images helped shape the myths and representation of the Belle Époque.
“L’art est dans la rue,” at Musée d”Orsay until July 06, 2025.