The Birth of the Modern Visual Culture:
Japonisme, the Female Figure, and the Rise of the Art Nouveau Poster
This paper explores the rise of Art Nouveau posters in fin-de-siècle France, tracing down how Japonisme and the depiction of the female figure intersected in both visual cultures. By examining artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Jules Chéret, Théophile Steinlen and Katsushika Hokusai, I argue that the poster emerged as a hybrid art form, merging commercial and aesthetic needs, while keeping and reshaping the ideals of beauty. The paper offers formal analyzes, cultural exchanges with Ukiyo-e and how was art changing the urban space in late nineteenth century Paris.