RENE PEAN (1875-1940) OLYMPIA. Gouache and mixed media maquette.

47x33 1/2 inches.
Condition B: expertly replaced text at top; repaired tears in margins.
The Olympia music hall opened in 1893 and is still in business on the Boulevard des Capucines, in Paris. The poster announcing their grand opening was designed by Jules Cheret and was one of his most glorious and colorful images. The owner of Olympia, Joseph Oller, was a show business tycoon who understood the value of publicity and always employed very good artists to work on his promotions, including many of Cheret's disciples at Chaix, including Rene Pean. This poster is an unpublished variant of the poster Pean designed and printed for Olympia in 1899. It is one of his most inspired designs with bright colors and a superb sense of movement. Obviously Oller preferred the more "proper" view of his establishment, as the poster that was actually printed took a realistic approach, illustrating an elegant couple enjoying the show at Olympia from within their box seats, with part of the stage and the orchestra visible. This project is a sexier, fin-de-siecle fantasy of the music hall, with dancers being lauded by the enthusiastic crowd of elder "gentlemen."