Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

SEM
Circa 1895 original poster titled "Les Grands Boulevards" by SEM

Circa 1895

About the Item

This circa 1895 original poster titled "Les Grands Boulevards", created by the renowned French illustrator SEM (Georges Goursat), captures the vibrant and atmospheric essence of Parisian nightlife at the turn of the century. With a masterful blend of impressionistic strokes, bold contrasts, and expressive characters, the artwork immerses viewers in the bustling heart of Belle Époque Paris. The scene is set on a rainy evening along the grand boulevards, where a crowd of Parisians huddles under umbrellas, braving the wet streets to partake in the city's renowned nightlife. The foreground is dominated by two striking figures: a mysterious man in a dark overcoat and hat, and a whimsical Pierrot-like character, both rendered with distinctive loose and expressive linework. Their presence adds an air of intrigue, perhaps symbolizing the diverse personalities that populated the city’s social scene. In the background, the glow of illuminated buildings, bustling cafés, and horse-drawn carriages reflect off the wet pavement, emphasizing the city’s lively and theatrical ambiance. The composition’s rich blacks, soft ochres, and muted yellows enhance the effect of artificial light against the rain-soaked streets, reminiscent of the work of Toulouse-Lautrec and Jean-Louis Forain, both of whom captured similar nocturnal scenes of Parisian life. The signature "SEM" in bold black letters anchors the composition, asserting the artist’s distinctive hand in the era’s burgeoning world of poster art. SEM, known for his sharp satirical style and elegant depictions of high society, brings a uniquely observational and cinematic perspective to this piece, elevating it beyond mere documentation into the realm of social commentary. This poster likely served as an artistic homage to Paris’s legendary boulevards, where nightlife, culture, and urban modernity converged. Today, it stands as a testament to the energy and sophistication of late 19th-century Paris, a city that never ceased to inspire artists, writers, and flâneurs alike. Show - Theater - Paris
  • Creator:
    SEM (1863 - 1934, Italian)
  • Creation Year:
    Circa 1895
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 22.45 in (57 cm)Width: 15.36 in (39 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Good condition, a fold.
  • Gallery Location:
    PARIS, FR
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1792215827732

More From This Seller

View All
Air France Proche Orient - 1959 Original Poster Airlines - Tourism - Middle East
Located in PARIS, FR
Original Poster for Air France Middle East by Éric in 1959 Printed by : Bedos & Cie in Paris On linen
Category

1950s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Paper, Lithograph, Linen

Frederiksberg - Svomme Hal 1938 Original Poster - Denmark - Art Deco - Tourism
By Thor Bogelund-Jensen
Located in PARIS, FR
Danish travel poster created by Bogelund (1890-1959) advertising Frederiksberg Svomme Hal, a large indoor public pool in Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Category

1930s Art Deco Prints and Multiples

Materials

Paper, Linen, Lithograph

Le Mont-Dore 1050 mètres 1886 mètres Circa 1940 Original Poster Tourism Auvergne
By Jean Even
Located in PARIS, FR
A very beautiful poster realized by Jean Even ( 1910-1986 ), a French painter, lithographer and poster artist. In parallel to his career of painter and teacher, Jean Even begins a ca...
Category

1940s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Paper, Linen, Lithograph

Boswell - Greece - Salonica White Tower
Located in PARIS, FR
This beautiful mid-century travel poster features the White Tower of Thessaloniki, capital of Macedonia, a region in northern Greece. The White Tower is th...
Category

Mid-20th Century Prints and Multiples

Materials

Paper, Linen, Lithograph

The dancers of the Moulin Rouge Circa 1900 Original Poster - Cabaret - Paris
By Louis Abel-Truchet
Located in PARIS, FR
Beautiful poster by Abel Truchet for the Moulin Rouge dancers. Painter, draughtsman and poster artist, Louis Abel-Truchet (1857-1918) is, along wi...
Category

Early 1900s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Paper, Linen, Lithograph

Le Quadrille au Moulin Rouge Circa 1900 Original Poster - Paris Cabaret Dance
By Louis Abel-Truchet
Located in PARIS, FR
Painter, draughtsman and poster artist, Louis Abel-Truchet (1857-1918) is, along with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, one of the most famous representatives of Parisian life at the end of...
Category

Early 1900s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Paper, Lithograph, Linen

You May Also Like

Ann Chernow, Noir I, 2015, 15 Lithographs with printed captions, Rag paper, Ink
By Ann Chernow
Located in Darien, CT
Ann Chernow’s work is based on impressions related to images from movies from the l930s and l940s. She uses film clips, studio publicity material, fan magazines and other memorabilia...
Category

2010s Feminist Portrait Prints

Materials

Rag Paper, Lithograph

Constructivist Abstract Lithograph From Album MA 1921
By Sándor Bortnyik
Located in Cotignac, FR
A folio sheet from the Album MA by Sándor Bortnyik. Signed in pencil by the artist bottom right, numbered in pencil bottom left, number 50 from the edition of 140. Presented in plain...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Prints

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Behind the door. 4/10., paper, lithography, 55x70 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Semjon Segelman (1933)
Category

Late 20th Century Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Social democracy. 1932, paper, lithography, 97.5x62.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Romans Suta Born on April 28, 1896 in the vicinity of Cesis (Latvia), died on July 14, 1944 in Tbilisi (Georgia), rehabilitated posthumously. Painter, graphic artist, decorative and stage designer, art critic and theoretician. Studied at the J. Madernieks' Art Studio (1913), Riga City Art School (1913-1915), and Penza Art School (1915 -1917). A prominent figure and active protagonist of modernist trends in Latvian art. Travels to Berlin and Paris, where he made the acquaintance of A. Ozanfant, Le Corbusier, and others. The influences of Cubism and Constructivism. A member of the Riga Artists' Group (1920-1924) and the Riga Graphic Artists' Society. Painter of still lifes and figural compositions. After the first experiments in Modernism, he turned to a more realistic manner of representation. The initiator and developer of a national constructive style, especially in interior design; the founder of Baltars creative workshop for porcelain painting (1924-1928); a designer and painter at Kuznetsov...
Category

1930s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Wood Sprite B (1970) . Lithograph. Limited Edition of 70 by Toko Shinoda
By Toko Shinoda
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Toko SHINODA (Japanese, 1913‐2021) Wood Sprite B, Lithograph (Edition 49/70) 55.8 x 38.4 cm. Executed in 1970 Titled, signed, numbered and dedicated "to Miss Dorothy Robins" PROVEN...
Category

1970s Abstract Abstract Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Paper

"Musica per el Colom" (Music of the Birds) #216/250
By Alvar Sunol Munoz-Ramos
Located in Atlanta, GA
Musica per el Colom is part of the Suite Musical. Alvar’s creative embossing design exists as a resting place for his subject to recline while playing the flute. An onlooker serenel...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph, Archival Paper

Recently Viewed

View All