Récidiviste (1893)

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen prints bring the streets, cafés and cats of Montmartre into your home. Steinlen was a Swiss-born French Art Nouveau painter and printmaker whose poster for the Tournée du Chat Noir is one of the best-known images of Belle Époque Paris. This collection gathers art prints of his posters, magazine covers, cat drawings, scenes of working-class Paris and his wartime prints.

About Théophile Alexandre Steinlen

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in November 1859, the son of a post office clerk. He studied at the University of Lausanne, then trained as a pattern designer at a textile mill in Mulhouse. Encouraged by the painter François Bocion, he and his wife Émilie moved to Paris in 1881 and settled in Montmartre in 1883.

There Adolphe Willette introduced him to the artists of the cabaret Le Chat Noir, where he met Aristide Bruant and befriended Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Commissions for posters and illustrations followed. He showed paintings at the Salon des Indépendants from 1893 and became a regular contributor to Gil Blas, Le Rire and L'Assiette au Beurre, sometimes under a pseudonym because of his sharp social criticism.

Steinlen took French nationality in 1901 and in 1911 co-founded the magazine Les Humoristes with Jean-Louis Forain and others. During the First World War he made lithographs about the suffering of Belgium and Serbia. He died at his home in Montmartre on 13 December 1923 and is buried in the Cimetière Saint-Vincent there.

Style and Subjects

Steinlen drew the life around him in Montmartre: street singers, laundresses, workers, beggars, children and lovers, often showing the harder side of city life with real sympathy. His line is strong and expressive, and his posters combine flat areas of color with bold, decorative outlines in the Art Nouveau manner.

Cats were his great love. He drew them endlessly, playing, sleeping or arching their backs, in posters, books such as Des Chats, and even small sculptures. His work also includes advertising posters, book illustrations, landscapes, flowers and nudes.

Famous Works

• Mothu et Doria – Scènes impressionistes (1893). A poster for a Paris music-hall act.
• Compagnie Française des Chocolats et des Thés (1895). An advertising poster of a mother, child and cat sharing a treat.
• Les Chanteurs des Rues (1895). The frontispiece for Chansons de Montmartre, a collection of Paul Delmet's songs.
• Tournée du Chat Noir (1896), Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University. His famous poster of a black cat for the touring Chat Noir cabaret.
• Des Chats (1898). His book of wordless cat drawings.
• Cocorico (1899). A poster for the illustrated magazine Cocorico.

Decorating with Steinlen Prints

Steinlen's posters, especially Tournée du Chat Noir, are classic choices for a kitchen, café-style dining area, home bar or entryway. Their bold colors and graphic shapes look great in simple black frames and suit both vintage and modern rooms.

Cat lovers will find plenty for a living room, reading nook or bedroom. His drawings of Paris street life and working people make a strong gallery wall for a study, library or creative workspace.

FAQ

What art movement was Théophile Steinlen part of?

Steinlen was an Art Nouveau painter, printmaker and poster artist working in Paris during the Belle Époque. He was also known for his politically engaged work for socialist and anarchist publications.

What is Steinlen's most famous work?

His poster for the Tournée du Chat Noir (1896), showing a black cat with a halo-like sign, is his best-known image and one of the most famous posters of the period.

Where can I see Steinlen's original work?

The Musée d'Orsay and the Petit Palais in Paris hold his work, as do museums in Lausanne, Stockholm and Cologne. His posters are in many print and poster collections, such as the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University.

How can you recognize a Steinlen picture?

Look for strong, expressive lines, bold flat color, everyday Parisians drawn with sympathy and, very often, cats. His posters have clear shapes and decorative lettering.

Why did Steinlen draw so many cats?

He loved cats and they appear throughout his work, in posters, magazine drawings, paintings and small sculptures. He even published a book of wordless cat drawings, Des Chats.

Related Artists

• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — friend from the Chat Noir circle and fellow poster artist
• Adolphe Willette — introduced him to the artists of Le Chat Noir
• Jean-Louis Forain — co-founder with him of Les Humoristes in 1911
• Jules Chéret — leading Paris poster artist of the same era
• Käthe Kollwitz — German printmaker who shared his concern for working people