L'Art est dans la Rue at the Musée d'Orsay, the exhibition on the golden age of posters in Paris - photos

The "L'art est dans la rue" exhibition, presented at the Musée d'Orsay and the Bibliothèque nationale de France from March 18 to July 6, 2025, offers an unprecedented dive into the golden age of theillustrated poster in Paris. This retrospective analyzes how the poster transformed urban space and accompanied the social mutations of the XIXᵉ century.

This major exhibition brings together numerous masterpieces that illustrate the evolution of the illustrated poster from the mid-19th century onwards. The exhibition shows how, from the 1880s onwards, the streets of Paris were transformed into open-air galleries. These posters, installed on walls, hoardings, kiosks, Morris columns, public transport and even on "sandwich men", bear witness to the great revolutions that affected the art world, but also French society, its dynamics, its cities... Through photographs, drawings, prints, paintings and - of course - posters, visitors plunge into an era of transitions.

Is the poster a work of art or a testimony to the past? Yes, that's exactly what this exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay shows. Designed to be seen by as many people as possible, these posters reveal a wealth of important information about the past. The exhibition evokes the evolution of cities and urban uses. Asarchitecture and the layout of public spaces evolve, these posters conquer these new, creative spaces.

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The poster was more than just an advertising tool: it became a revealer of social change. Embraced by the artistic avant-garde, they reflected the upheavals in Parisian society and helped to disseminate a new urban aesthetic. Critic Roger Marx spoke of "true modern architecture", while authors such as Joris-Karl Huysmans saw in these creations a break with Haussmannian monotony.

The third section focuses on the role of poster-posters, key figures in Belle Époque Paris. Often depicted in literature and emerging cinema, they embodied a profession as picturesque as it was perilous. At the height of the election period, their numbers exploded, with up to 1,800 workers on the streets of the capital.

With the rise of department stores, posters became an essential vehicle for mass consumption. Mucha, Toulouse-Lautrec and Cappiello put their art at the service of advertising, inventing striking visuals to attract customers. The"cathedrals of commerce", as Émile Zola described them, were surrounded by these colorful creations that exalted modernity.

At the same time, posters took over the world of entertainment. Cabarets, theaters and circuses vied with each other to capture the attention of passers-by. Toulouse-Lautrec designed iconic posters for Moulin Rouge, while Mucha sublimated the image of Sarah Bernhardt, who became a veritable icon. These collaborations between artists and stars had a lasting impact on the aesthetics of the artistic poster.

While posters reflect modernity, they also come up against censorship. Until the Freedom of the Press Act of 1881, public authorities strictly regulated content. Even after this date, political and political posters remained under surveillance. The section devoted to this aspect presents the posters of militant and trade-union newspapers, where the image becomes a weapon in the service of ideas.

Finally, the exhibition concludes with the fascination of the poster at the turn of the XXᵉ century. A veritable craze, known as "affichomanie", saw the emergence of a market of passionate collectors. Rare prints are preserved, giving the poster new artistic recognition.

"L'Art est dans la Rue" doesn't just retrace the history of the poster: it invites us to rediscover Paris through the images that have shaped its landscape. A must-see exhibition, revealing how a simple visual medium has captured the spirit of an era and shaped our perception of the city. Symbols of an"art for all", posters represent an entire era and a specific art form, which can be discovered at the Musée d'Orsay.