Images de Bob et de Gyp 1898

This remarkable and richly illustrated 1898 lithographic poster announces the satirical exhibition Images de Bob et de Gyp, held at La Bodinière (18, rue Saint-Lazare, Paris) from November 9 to 30. The exhibition was centered around the collaboration between the cartoonist Bob (Georges Ferdinand Bigot, known as "Bob") and the notorious aristocratic writer Gyp (pseudonym of Sibylle Riqueti de Mirabeau), a pair who used caricature and humor to target the political and social affairs of the French Third Republic.

Drawn in an exuberant Belle Époque style, the poster is a swirl of symbolism, caricature, and absurdist imagination. Floating heads of politicians emerge from stalks of red carnations, while flying figures, umbrellas, birds, and scrolls populate the scene in a surreal landscape. At the center, a Moses-like figure clutches a stone tablet inscribed with mocking verses, proclaiming absurd political revelations. The overall scene parodies the language and posturing of state power and religious authority, mocking both with sharp wit.

This poster is not merely promotional—it is itself an artwork of satire. The names mentioned and imagery used reflect the political scandals of the day, especially those surrounding military and religious figures during the tumultuous Dreyfus Affair. In the lower left corner, the lithograph is credited to Affiches de l’Artisan Moderne with artwork printed by André Marty and H. Fleury.

Visually chaotic and layered with meaning, this poster exemplifies the radical humor of late 19th-century Paris, where political caricature was both a cultural phenomenon and a tool of resistance. It’s a rare and important witness to the rich interplay between art, politics, and satire at the fin-de-siècle.

Religion - Caricature - Literature

A la Bodinière

Bourgerie & Cie Paris

Good condition, traces of folds