Nany et Lona - La Danse des Fortifs Circa 1910

This charming and mischievous circa 1910 original lithography by Francisque Poulbot captures a moment of youthful rebellion and streetwise spirit in the heart of working-class Paris. Titled Nany et Lona – La Danse des Fortifs, the artwork is a lively portrayal of childhood antics played out against the backdrop of the infamous “fortifs,” the now-vanished fortification belt that once encircled the city.

Poulbot, known for his poignant and humorous depictions of Parisian street children, delivers here a scene filled with humor and vitality. A young ragamuffin boy, dressed in patched clothes and scuffed shoes, performs an exaggerated kick behind an oblivious or perhaps equally cheeky girl, who struts ahead with confident flair and exaggerated elegance. Their exaggerated postures and expressive faces recall the comédie humaine of the Belle Époque’s street life, filtered through the artist’s tender and satirical eye.

Set in muted earth tones and with an almost theatrical backdrop of barren trees and cobbled streets, the composition emphasizes character over place. The dance they perform is not one of elegance or refinement but of play, mockery, and survival — a child’s parody of adult behavior and social norms.

This lithograph is more than a whimsical illustration. It is a window into the lives of the gamins de Paris, children who inhabited the margins yet inspired some of the most beloved visual art of early 20th-century France. Poulbot’s legacy as a visual chronicler of these overlooked figures lives on vividly in works like this, filled with both satire and affection.

Original lithography

Childhood - Cabaret - Dance

Numbered 5 out of 15 and signed by hand by the artist

Good condition