Tournée du Chat Noir (1896)

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923) was a Swiss-born French Art Nouveau painter and printmaker, celebrated for his politically engaged works and collaboration with the anarchist and socialist press. After studying at the University of Lausanne, Steinlen moved to Paris and settled in Montmartre, where he became deeply involved in the city's vibrant artistic community. He is well-known for his lithographic posters, particularly the iconic "Tournée du Chat Noir." Steinlen's art often depicted the harsher aspects of society, and his focus shifted to the human effects of war following World War I. Throughout his lifetime, he created over 600 original lithographs, etchings, and other prints, as well as some paintings and sculptures, and continued to work and exhibit until his death in Paris in 1923. His legacy includes a stone monument in Square Joël Le Tac in Paris, created in his honor in 1936.