Chat Noir

The name Chat Noir is synonymous with fin-de-siecle Paris. The most famous use of this name is that of the Cabaret du Chat Noir, for which Theophile Steinlen made a series of posters and announcements in the 1890s. Examples of these posters and images, all of which depict a fierce looking black cat with a halo inscribed “Montjoye Montmartre,” can be found in many major museums. At the turn of the century the Cabaret du Chat Noir was Paris’s most celebrated cabaret. Its famous poster by Theophile Steinlin adorned the walls of Montmartre and drew many spectators to its continuously changing spectacles

This lithographic advertising card for Cabaret du Chat Noir, signed in the stone by the artist, is a small (6 x 4 1/8) version of Steinlen’s large Chat Noir posters. The card was used as an announcement for the reopening of the cabaret in its new location in 1896.

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Au Chat Noir – Confiserie/Chocolaterie

Au Chat Noir, the confiserie/chocolaterie founded in 1870, flourished in Paris through the turn of the 20th century. This set of four color lithographic calendars dates from 1899 and was issued for the Exposition Universelle de 1900. Each three-month panel depicts a different pavilion and presents the decorative art nouveau background in a unique and different way. The many black cats depicted running, jumping, reclining, sitting, climbing and leaping celebrate the cat as did Theophile Steinlen in his many cat posters.

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Printed Lithographic Ephemera

Advertisement. Lithograph. 3 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches.

The popularity of the name “Chat Noir” lent its name to many products and businesses which sought to associate themselves with the famous cabaret. Some of these were Savon Chat Noir, Chocolate Chat Noir, Cafe Chat Noir, and Grand Cordonnerie du Chat Noir, two of which are illustrated here.

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During the past several years the Chat Noir image has become popular once again. Largely through auctions here and in France, Chat Noir posters have made their way to the auction markets as well as in museum and gallery exhibitions.

In the winter of 2001 a large exhibition, Toulouse-Lautrec and the Spirit of Montmartre: Cabarets, Humor, and the Avant-Garde, 1875-1905, was held here in San Francisco. The exhibition included many public programs on topics such as films, poster art, artist demonstrations, a cabaret evening, and curated tours – all of which greatly contributed to the popularity of the Chat Noir images.