Date of Award

12-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture

Department

Art

First Advisor

Trenton Olsen

Second Advisor

Esperanca Camara

Third Advisor

Piper Hutson

Abstract

This project presents a comprehensive exploration of illustrated advertising posters at the fin de siècle highlighting their multifaceted role as artistic works, commercial media, and cultural artifacts. Designed as a three part course for a museum education department, the study integrates art history, visual culture, and social history to analyze the impact of these posters on the modernizing city of Paris. Focusing on artists like Jules Chéret, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Alphonse Mucha, the project traces the aesthetic evolution of the poster that blurred the lines between fine art and mass culture. The course examines the broader socio-historical context, exploring how these posters reflect and influence shifting social norms, gender roles, and consumer behaviors. A dedicated segment employs feminist theory to evaluate the portrayal of women, examining their role in discussions on feminism and the New Woman. Additionally, the project situates these posters within the modernist movement, analyzing their contribution to a new visual language of advertising. By examining Montmartre’s bohemian culture, this study reveals how the district helped to shape the development of poster art and inspired the artists who embraced this medium, fostering innovation and challenging conventional artistic norms.

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