Dansende vrouw met masker en tamboerijn 1889 - 1890

This poster, "Dancing Woman with Mask and Tambourine," likely made in the late 19th century by an anonymous artist, advertises an exhibition of works by Jules Chéret. Chéret, a French painter and lithographer, was known for his Belle Époque posters featuring exuberant women. The poster presents a woman who is in motion, holding a tambourine. She is smiling while carrying a mask, her figure capturing the spirit of performance and spectacle which was a feature of Parisian nightlife. It is a celebration of entertainment and a nod to the burgeoning advertising industry, yet it also reflects a male gaze that often objectified women as symbols of pleasure and allure. Consider how the poster both captures the energy of its time, and how its portrayal of women exists within a longer history of representation and spectatorship.