Salon des Cent

[1] It was established in February 1894 by Léon Deschamps, founder of La Plume ("The Pen") an avant garde literary and artistic magazine.

[5] The journal moved to 31 Rue Bonaparte in July 1891, where the spacious new offices gave room to mount art exhibitions.

[5] In theory Le Salon des Cent was a group of one hundred artists, hence the name, but there was never a precise list and participation varied.

Some artists were invited to become members, including Puvis de Chavannes, Jules Chéret, Grasset and Marcellin Desboutin.

[13] The poster by Georges de Feure for the fifth Salon des Cent announced the themes that would dominate painting in the following years, and has been widely reproduced.

The poster, filling the frame with a bold composition, shows a simply-dressed young woman gazing thoughtfully at an umbel of angelica.

[14] When Léon Deschamps saw the draft he told Mucha, "Execute this design just as it is, and you will have created the masterpiece of the illustrated decorative poster.

[9] Georges de Feure exhibited for the first time at the fourth Salon des Cent, which took place at the Boulogne-sur-Mer Casino for the whole month of August 1894.

[22] Other posters included classic Art Nouveau images by Paul Berthon, Fernand Fau, Arsène Herbinier and Firmin Bouisset.

[9] Notable artists who showcased at the Salon des Cent also included Albert André, Pierre Bonnard, Frédéric-Auguste Cazals, Edgar Degas, Henri Evenepoel, Henri-Gabriel Ibels, Gustave-Henri Jossot, René Lalique, Henri Matisse, Gustave Moreau and Louis Valtat.