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Greg's Comment: “Over the last 30 plus years, Cheret’s posters have been a big part of my life, stemming from his prolific output of over 1000 poster designs. Many years ago when I first saw this Musée Grevin poster I knew there was something special about it. It is such a joyous and hauntingly memorable design that always seems to makes me smile the longer I look at it and each time I revisit it. Over time it has become one of my very favourite Cherets.

It combines all of Cheret’s classic characters and stunning colours into one flowing menagerie that floats magically across the scene towards you. For me it evokes memories of the first time as child I watched “The Wizard of Oz” in colour on TV. (I’m showing my age) The central ‘Cherette’ (the famous redhead lady in yellow) is not unlike Dorothy with her three cohorts enroute to the Emerald city on the Yellow brick road. That memory is magical as is this poster, which I know will bring joy for many years to whomever finds it a new home.”

The charming Théâtre Grévin

“This is the before-lettering version of Chéret’s charming poster for Les Fantoches, a puppet-show extravaganza staged at the theater of the Musée Grevin, a frequent client of Chéret. The design was so eye-catching that it was also used to announce a Fête des Artistes at the venue , as well as a variety of other shows. (Rennert).

The Musée Grévin with Cheret posters

The Musée Grévin

At the end of the 19th Century, Arthur Meyer, a journalist and founder of the famous daily newspaper Le Gaulois, conceived the idea of showing his contemporaries 3D representations of the front-page celebrities in his newspaper. At a time when the press did not use photography he thought of creating a place where the public could at last "put a face" on the people in the news.

Grevin in Paris Waxworks

To achieve this original project, he called on Alfred Grévin, who was a cartoonist, sculptor, and designer of theatrical costumes, and who became so involved that in the end, the project bore his name. When the Grévin wax museum opened its doors to the public on 5th June 1882, it was an immediate success!

In 1883, Gabriel Thomas, a distinguished investor who had previously backed the companies running the Eiffel Tower and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, gave the Grévin a business-like economic structure to enable rapid expansion. He also enriched the site with new decors which are today its very precious heritage, such as the Grévin Theatre, which is listed on the inventory of Historical Monuments, or the Hall of Mirrors (Palais des Mirages) that had been part of the 1900 "Exposition Universelle". More than a century later, still faithful to the spirit of its three founding fathers, this unique site continues to provide the public with the astounding possibility of "seeing with their own eyes" the celebrities in the news. (www.grevin-paris.com/en)