Mistinguett – Emmerich Weninger, 1933

THE GREATEST FEMALE STAR OF THE INTERWAR PERIOD

“Mistinguett”, colour lithograph on three joined sheets, designed by Emmerich Weninger in 1933 and printed by Waldheim-Eberle in Vienna. Size: 275 × 124 cm.

This design belongs to the category of large-format theatre posters intended to dominate the urban streetscape. At nearly three metres in height, the poster functions as a striking visual statement: immediately recognisable and legible from a distance, designed to capture the attention of passers-by. The bold stylisation and use of clear colour planes place the work firmly within a late Art Deco idiom, in which elegance and visual impact go hand in hand.

Mistinguett (1875–1956), born Jeanne Bourgeois, was the undisputed star of the Parisian entertainment world in the early decades of the twentieth century. She performed in the city’s leading music halls, most notably the Folies Bergère and the Moulin Rouge, where she captivated audiences night after night with large-scale revues combining song, dance, and spectacle. These productions were characterised by a rapid succession of scenes, lavish sets and costumes, imbued with glamour and a sense of allure. Within this framework, Mistinguett stood as the central vedette: her personality, timing, and stage presence provided cohesion and energy to the performances.

By the mid-1920s she had reached the height of her career and was widely regarded as the highest-paid female entertainer in the world. Her contracts with the Paris theatres were exceptionally lucrative, and her name carried international resonance, establishing her as one of the first modern entertainment icons. It is precisely this status that is conveyed in the present poster. By stripping away all contextual elements and focusing entirely on the face and presence of the performer, Emmerich Weninger (1909–1977) created an image that is emblematic of interwar star culture, in which the artist herself becomes the principal attraction.

Price: Euro 1.250,-