Fête de charité au bénéfice de la ‘Société de Secours aux Familles des Marins naufragés’ 1897

This is a poster by Jules Chéret, created to advertise a charity event in Paris in 1890. The funds raised were to support families of shipwrecked sailors. Chéret’s poster is a window into the lives of working-class women and children, set against the backdrop of maritime peril. We see the emotional weight of the sea's unpredictable nature. An older woman sits with a child, their faces etched with worry. In the background, a woman raises her arms in what could be anguish as a rescue unfolds. The artist captures a community bound by the shared anxiety and hardship that defined the lives of maritime families. Chéret made this poster during a time of significant social change in France, reflecting the era's philanthropic impulses and a growing awareness of social inequalities. The poster bridges the gap between the privileged Parisian society who attended the charity event and the often-invisible struggles of France’s maritime communities. It evokes empathy and a call to action.