Sarah Bernhardt – Amsterdam Performances BEGGARSTAFF BROS William Nicholson & James Pryde ORIGINAL 1897
The Sarah Bernhardt poster designed by the Beggarstaff Brothers (William Nicholson and James Pryde) in 1897 is one of the most iconic and rare examples of late 19th-century poster design. Created for Bernhardt’s Amsterdam performances that October, it showcases the Beggarstaffs’ groundbreaking minimalist style—marked by bold silhouettes, flat colors, and graphic restraint that stood in contrast to the ornate Art Nouveau designs of the time. Printed as a stone lithograph, the poster is relatively small in size but highly prized for its historical significance, visual impact, and rarity. It remains a sought-after collector’s item which has sold at auction in NYC for $3500 !
Details
• Title: Sarah Bernhardt – Amsterdam Performances • Artists: Beggarstaff Brothers (William Nicholson & James Pryde) • Date: 1897 • Printing Method: Original stone lithography
• Dimensions: Approx. 10.75″ × 10.25″
• Design: Minimalist silhouette of Bernhardt; bold, graphic aesthetic • Occasion: Created for Bernhardt’s 1897 tour at the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam • Notable performances included: La Dame aux Camélias, La Tosca, Phèdre, Fedora • Condition: Excellent (Grade A), untrimmed and unrestored
Spa Ferme Frahinfaz by Crespin for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Spa Ferme Frahinfaz by Crespin Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
Kock de Koekelberg Berchmans for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Berchmans Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
The Chap Book by Bradley for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: The Chap Book by Bradley Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
Womens Edition Courier by Gifford for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Womens Edition Courier by Gifford Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
Cinderella by Dudley Hardy for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Hardy Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
St paul’s by Dudley Hardy for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Hardy Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
Abbotts phit eesi by Hardy for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Hardy Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
Amer Mauguin by Berchmans for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Berchmans Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
Artist: Hardy Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
Original stone-lithograph plate printed circa 1896 at Imprimerie Chaix (Paris) for Les Affiches Étrangères. This plate presents Fernand Toussaint’s poster Le Sillon, designed during the height of the Belgian poster movement of the 1890s. Toussaint, celebrated for his elegant portraits, landscapes, and decorative panels, also contributed to the rise of the poster as an art form, working in the refined Art Nouveau style.
The composition for Le Sillon reflects the strong graphic design typical of the period, balancing expressive lettering with symbolic imagery. Toussaint’s contribution highlights the international scope of the poster revival, in which Belgian artists such as Privat Livemont, Fernand Toussaint, and Henri Meunier played an important role alongside their French counterparts.
Les Affiches Étrangères (1896–1899) was a companion series to Les Affiches Illustrées, published at the Chaix atelier under the artistic direction of Jules Chéret. Each plate was printed in stone lithography on fine wove paper, offering collectors authentic small-format versions of significant contemporary posters from across Europe.
Title: Le Sillon
Artist: Fernand Toussaint (1873–1956)
Date: c.1896 (after the original 1890s poster)
Printer: Imprimerie Chaix, Paris (Les Affiches Étrangères)
Size: 21.5 × 30 cm (approx. 8.5 × 11.8 in)
Print Type: Stone lithograph
Condition: Excellent “A,” near-mint on fine wove paper
Comments: Authentic plate from Les Affiches Étrangères, produced at Chaix under Jules Chéret. Crisp impression with strong color. A scarce example by Fernand Toussaint, representing the important Belgian contribution to Art Nouveau poster design.
Pseudonyme autonym by Beard for Les Affiches Etrangeres 1894
Artist: Beard Printer: Chaix Imprimerie, Paris Size: 9 x 12.5 ” / 22.8 x 30.5 cm On / Off Linen: Unlined Year: 1896 Condition & Comments: Excellent A condition
Les Affiches etrangere was created by Jules Cheret at the Chaix imprimerie to celebrate the famous poster artists and their works of the time. Poster collecting was the rage between 1895 and 1900 and Cheret made sure to supply the public with all the images of a selection of the best posters of the time. The printing was by way of Stone lithgoraphy and great attention was paid to quality. In Excellent condition
