Trianon-Concert 1897

Curator: Before us is "Trianon-Concert," a lithograph from 1897 by Georges Meunier. Editor: Instantly, it’s the playful, almost aggressively bright color scheme that grabs me, the interplay between that vivid yellow table and the quieter, almost melancholy blues in the background. Curator: Indeed. Note how Meunier employs flattened perspective and bold outlines, characteristic of Art Nouveau. Semiotically, each component plays into the other. How does the use of such blatant poster type design impact your reception? Editor: The medium undeniably connects this work to the rise of commercial advertising and the Parisian nightlife scene during the Belle Époque. The Montmartre is alive, beckoning an audience. It’s a carefully constructed vision of leisure for an increasingly urban population, with class implication in every silk clad detail. What meaning do you make of his deployment of curvilinear designs here? Curator: The sinuous lines present, as ever in Art Nouveau, an organic, flowing rhythm. They guide the eye through the image, connecting the foreground figures to the hazy suggestion of a stage in the background. One finds repeated curves mirrored in the fashion and décor; see the hats, the hair, the very structure of the theater's architecture. It unifies the piece with these mirroring visual signifiers, leading the viewer on a visual journey. Editor: The use of these high-class women almost like brand ambassadors makes it very obvious to me. Their presence embodies aspirational femininity; pleasure becomes commodified here to become part of the urban spectacle itself, selling not only a performance, but a lifestyle. The text, "Spectacle Varié" drives this point home—an ever changing performance promising many thrills, doesn't it? Curator: It does underscore how artistic choices amplify a dual message: entertainment combined with societal aspirations. Looking through it, the artist gives his viewers so many layers of decoding; in essence we also become the entertained patrons of this imagined club. Editor: So we are! It is fascinating how "Trianon-Concert," presents this unique convergence of art, advertising, and social history! Curator: Yes, Meunier offers an astute composition to examine and unpack, revealing how various elements construct a layered artistic purpose.