Trianon Concert Poster – Georges Meunier – 1895

Trianon Concert Poster – Georges Meunier – 1895

This beautiful vintage French Trianon Concert poster is the epitome of Ladies doing Lunch!

The poster was created by the prolific French artist Georges Meunier at the turn-of-the-century. As can be seen in the poster’s image, Meunier was heavily influenced by the work of Jules Chéret. The poster was created in 1897 to coincide with the opening of one of  Paris’s first Music Halls. It features two of France’s bright young things in conversation over drinks and nibbles.In the background an entertainer can be seen on the theatre’s stage. Other patrons of the garden venue are seen enjoying the evening’s variety show.

The poster reads, Grand Jardin de L’Élysée Montmartre. Tous Les Soirs. Trianon Concert. 80, Boulevard Rochechouart. Spectacle Varie.

The Trianon concert hall stands proudly in the heart the Montmartre district in Paris. Its beautiful regal facade adds a touch of class to Boulevard de Rochechouart, especially when illuminated at night. The Trianon-Concert was built as a café concert. Café chantants or café-concerts were enormously popular in the Belle Epoque era. The musical performances in these outdoor singing cafés was generally lighthearted, usually risqué, and often bawdy,  but rarely political or confrontational.

Le Trianon Concert was built in the garden of the famous French ballroom, L’Élysée Montmartre in 1894. The venue was named after the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles. The Grand Trianon was a place where Louis XIV would escape to, in an attempt to get some respite from the arduous pomp of courtly etiquette. It was also the place he was able to pursue his affair with Madame de Montespan! The beautiful facade on the famous Montmartre building was also inspired by the Versailles original.

The venue opened in 1895 becoming one of Paris’s first music halls. Artists including La Goulou, Grille d’Egoût, Leopoldo Fregoli, Valentin le Désoss all performed at the venue. French chanteuse, mimic and comedian, Mistinguett made her debut on the Trianon stage.

In 1900, at the height of the Belle Epoque, a fire burned the building to the ground. It reopened two years later as “Trianon-Theater,”  an elegant, 1,000-seater Italian-style theater, with two balconies leading to the sumptuous main theatre.

Jules Chéret considered Meunier’s  Trianon Concert poster prestigious enough to be reprinted and sold as Plate 62 of his Maitres de l’Affiche series. This plate is from the Maitres de l’Affiche (Masters of the Poster) collection one of 256 color lithographic plates delivered to monthly subscribers in sets of four beginning in 1895 and continuing through 1900. The collection was reproduced from the original posters of ninety-seven artists in a smaller 15 3/4 x 11 3/8 inch (40 x 29 cm) format. The individual plates were issued as a separate numbered sheet, with the printer’s name, “Imprimerie Chaix,” in the margin at the bottom left hand corner.

Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.

The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £12. So you can bag a bargain of print and poster for just £22.