Sixth Performance: Boubourouche; Valet de Coeur, for Le Théatre Libre

Art Historical Context

Henri-Gabriel Ibels's *Sixth Performance: Boubourouche; Valet de Coeur, for Le Théatre Libre* (1892–93) is a vibrant color lithograph that captures the excitement of avant-garde theater in fin-de-siècle Paris. Created as a promotional poster, it advertises a performance at André Antoine's innovative Théâtre Libre, a hub for naturalist drama that challenged traditional stagecraft with realistic portrayals of everyday life. Ibels, a key figure in the Poster Art movement and associated with the Nabis group, used bold lines and flattened forms inspired by Japanese prints to advertise cultural events. Printed on ivory wove paper, this medium exemplifies the technical advances in color lithography during the 1890s, allowing artists like Ibels to layer vivid hues with precision and affordability. At 23.5 × 31.3 cm, its intimate scale made it ideal for display in cafés, streets, and theaters, democratizing art for the urban public. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this work highlights Ibels's role in bridging visual art and performance, reflecting Paris's dynamic cultural scene where posters became collectible artworks in their own right. A charming glimpse into a revolutionary era!

About the Artist

Henri-Gabriel Ibels

Henri-Gabriel Ibels (1867–1936) was a French illustrator, printmaker, painter, and author born in Paris to parents of Dutch ancestry. His early life remains sparsely documented, but he trained at the Académie Julian alongside fellow students Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, where Paul Sérusier mentored him into the nascent Nabis group. In 1889, Ibels became a founding member of Les Nabis along...