Olympia / Anciennes Montagnes Russes

Artist: Jules Cheret French (1836-1932)

Title: Olympia / Anciennes Montagnes Russes

Plate: OLY.01

Description: Condition A+ Mint
Original colour stone lithograph 
Printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris 1892.  
Backed on linen. 

Reference: Chéret, 454; Broido, 345; Maindron 1896, 278; Gold, 146
Shipped Rolled FedEx
Certificate of Authenticity.

Sheet Size: 33 1/2 in x 47 in / 85 cm x 119.4 cm

Price: Temporarily out of stock

I can usually source this poster. If you are interested please contact me. Greg

Sold for $ 6,900 US, Poster Auctions International, N.Y. Nov. 2004.


"With eclat and elan, to say nothing of a pair of cymbals, the ebullient, unabashedly hedonistic sprite calls us to the Olympia to enjoy the 'Russian Mountains' (Montagnes Russes). The French term for the rollercoaster. The Poster was used for the opening of this new establishment...It was one of the first places in Paris that called itself a 'music-hall,' borrowing a word from British show business. There was a bumpy ride as an added attraction to the usual stage spectacles, but to call it a rollercoaster was probably somewhat euphemistic"  (Rennert PAI-XXV, 245)


"The Olympia opened in Paris in April of 1893…From the start it exploited feminine allure for all it was worth. Whatever its various revues were called, they always featured beautiful girls in revealing costumes. A full 15 years before Florenz Ziegfeld thought of glorifying the American girl, the display of sex appeal on stage was in full swing in Paris" (Gold p.112)

"The achievement of Cheret was to create a world of explosive happiness, and to paste it on the walls of Paris. As a painter he will be remembered for what Huysmans calls his 'spirit of nervous gaiety', as a lithographer for his superb technique, and as a poster artist for being the ancestor of all modern advertising." (Abdy p.36)