Representations Of Women In Fin-de-siècle French Advertisements

This thesis analyzes the depictions of women as highly idealized, feminine, and/or seductive figures in Art Nouveau style advertisements in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century France. Ultimately, I demonstrate how these advertisements developed the now widespread phenomenon of using idealized women and sexually appealing imagery in order to sell products. Specifically, lithographic posters created by male artists such as Jules Chéret, Alphonse Mucha, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and will be examined. My research will therefore encompass the works of various art historians to explore the representation of the female form in the Art Nouveau style and how artists used the female body to sell lifestyles and products to consumers. Furthermore, this thesis will analyze the cognitive strategies that such images deployed, many of which continue to appear in French advertisements today. Research regarding the use and effects of sexually appealing imagery in contemporary mainstream advertising is well documented. However, my research hopes to offer a nuanced analysis of the origins of such advertising strategies that can be found in French lithographic advertisements during the Art Nouveau movement.