Lido/C'est Magnifique
Artist
René Gruau
France, 1909 - 2004
Date1957
MediumLithograph
Dimensions95 x 129 1/2 in. (241.3 x 328.9 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.7823
DescriptionIn 1946, Le Lido opened as a musical-theater venue on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. While the building had originally been a bathhouse, the new owners converted the underground pool into a cabaret space that welcomed members of the French elite alongside international celebrities. Le Lido introduced the concept of the “dinner show” where patrons could enjoy a meal while watching a lavish performance featuring high-kicking showgirls. The Bluebell Girls formed one of Le Lido's most notable cabaret acts; trained in classical dance, these performers stood 5 feet 11 inches tall on average. The women became instant fashion symbols, and their glitzy costumes and sensual demeanor captivated audiences.Under “C’est magnifique!” (It’s magnificent!) on the right panel, this billboard notes the names of Pierre Louis Guerin and Rene Fraday. Guerin was an ambitious show producer, while Fraday was a dancer and producer who had worked at the Moulin Rouge before becoming the artistic director of Le Lido in 1946. Below their names is that of the American choreographer Donn Arden, often credited as the creator of the quintessential “showgirl” aesthetic, defined by statuesque women in ornate costumes adorned with sequins, feathers, and headdresses. This kind of flamboyance is on display in this design in which shadowy, faceless men in top hats gaze at a line of near-identical female performers in risqué costumes—a glimpse of the glamour, pleasure, and entertainment offered by the show.
René Gruau was a fashion illustrator best known for his work as an artistic director for Christian Dior. His elegant paintings influenced the postwar fashion industry, introducing a new feminine archetype. Gruau’s poster-art style was inspired by the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and by Japanese woodcuts. From the late 1940s, he focused on advertisements, much like this one and others he produced for Le Lido—all of which featured his signature “G” surmounted by a small star.
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