Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 58 works by Théophile Steinlen in our catalogue
In short
Tournee Du Chat Noir is the Théophile Steinlen painting that draws the most eyes. After it, the eye goes to Chat sur un fauteuil and Le baiser. Among the 58 works of Théophile Steinlen in our catalog, these 58 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
A Glimpse into Montmartre's Soul: "Tournee Du Chat Noir" by Steinlen Theophile Alexandre Steinlen’s “Tournee Du Chat Noir” is more than just a striking image; it's a vibrant window into the bohemian heart of late 19th-century Paris. This captivating work, rendered in a distinctive Art Nouveau style, depicts a watchful black cat perched atop a bold red background. The cat’s wide, alert eyes draw the viewer immediately into its gaze,…
A single cat rests upon an armchair, its body a soft curve of repose. The scene is small, intimate, and hushed. It captures a fleeting second of domestic stillness, where the weight of the animal meets the structure of the chair. The light is diffused, filtering into the room without the violence of harsh shadows. It settles upon the fur and the fabric, creating a sense of warmth and solitude.…
A tender embrace defines this composition, centering two figures caught in a private moment of closeness. The scene is vertically oriented, drawing the eye upward along the contours of the embracing couple. Set against a blurred, indistinct background of foliage and soft light, the figures emerge from a darker, enclosed space. This shallow perspective creates a sense of seclusion, isolating the pair from the surrounding environment.
Two cats share a private moment, suspended in a warm, brown void that feels both intimate and infinite. One cat sits low to the ground, its body settled in a posture of stillness, while the other stands above, creating a subtle vertical tension between them. They are locked in a gaze, a silent exchange of glances that suggests a conversation known only to them. The simplicity of the scene pulls…
July 14 is a large-scale oil painting from 1889 that captures a vibrant and bustling night scene, depicting a crowded, celebratory gathering such as a street festival or parade. The composition is dense and panoramic, utilizing a wide horizontal format to portray a massive, moving crowd. The scene is characterized by a dark, moody color palette of deep blues, blacks, and browns, which is punctuated by bright highlights of white,…
This black and white woodcut print from 1898 presents a crowded, somber composition centered on a funeral procession. The image functions as a journalistic illustration, characterized by a flattened perspective and bold, graphic lines. At the heart of the scene, a group of figures gathers around a body being carried through a dense crowd. The typography at the top of the frame reads "Rochefort est mort!", indicating the subject matter…
Letter from a Striker (Lettre d'un Gréviste) is a vintage theatrical poster created by the Swiss-born French artist Théophile Steinlen. Produced in 1893, the work emerged during a period of significant social and artistic transformation in Paris.
The room is thick with a heavy, hushed stillness. A man and a woman lean inward, their bodies forming a protective arc over a bed where two small children sleep. The air feels weighted by the dimness of the chamber, yet a soft, directional light spills across the scene, catching the stark white of the linens and the gentle curves of the children's faces. This light acts as a silent…
Night descends upon a European city, casting long shadows across cobblestone streets. Under the artificial glow of gas lamps, a group of women moves through the darkness, their bodies bent under the weight of heavy loads. The scene captures a moment of quiet resignation, where the grit of the urban environment meets the repetitive nature of manual toil. There is a palpable sense of hardship in their postures, a physical…
Tour of Rodolphe Salis' Chat Noir1896 · Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University
12
La Feuille, no. 61898
13
La Feuille, no. 71898
14
Dans la rue, (Gigolots et Gigolettes)1895
15
Paris la Niut1903
16
The elementsMusee des Arts Decoratifs
17
The application of the decorationMusee des Arts Decoratifs
18
Night partyMusee des Arts Decoratifs
19
Woman in white blouseMusée Toulouse-Lautrec
20
Allégorie du Grand Morin
21
L'enfant à la poupée
22
Femme portant un enfant dans ses bras
23
Poilu
24
Soldat convalescent assis
25
Maisons dans un village
26
Colette sur un fond de jardin
27
Les trieuses de charbon
28
Grand nu féminin sur un lit
29
Profil de jeune fille
30
Les PermissionnairesMusée Alphonse-georges Poulain
31
Petite étude de nu assis sur fond sombre
32
PORTRAIT DE JEUNE FILLE DE FACE
33
Jehan Rictus
34
Le coup de vent
35
La pierreuse
36
Vision de Paris
37
Petit nu sur un lit
38
Portrait d'un peintre
39
Femme assise dans canapé
40
Ouvriers du bâtiment
41
World War I
42
Lion en cageMusée Alphonse-georges Poulain
43
Journée Serbe
44
Dans la rue
45
Cocorico
46
Musée D'orsayMusée d'Orsay
47
Boulevard De La Chapelle
48
Zeitgenössisches Gemälde
49
Il n’y est pas! Sûr c’est un lapin
50
Vue sur les toits
51
Paysage d'usines
52
Prochainement
53
Deux lionnes marchant de profil gaucheMusée Alphonse-georges Poulain
54
Vue de Belmont près de Lausanne, paysage automnal
55
Vue de Belmont près de Lausanne, paysage matinal
56
Deux chats mangeant du mouMusée Alphonse-georges Poulain
57
Paysage urbain
58
Paysage de Norvège
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Théophile Steinlen | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Musée Alphonse-georges Poulain |
Vernon | 4 | Les Permissionnaires, Lion en cage, Deux lionnes marchant de profil gauche |
 Musee des Arts Decoratifs |
Paris | 3 | The elements, The application of the decoration, Night party |
 Petit Palais |
Paris | 1 | July 14 |
 Musée Victor Hugo |
Paris | 1 | The Poor People |
 National Gallery of Art |
Washington | 1 | The Laundresses |
 Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University |
New Brunswick | 1 | Tour of Rodolphe Salis' Chat Noir |
 Musée Toulouse-Lautrec |
Albi | 1 | Woman in white blouse |
 Musée d'Orsay |
Paris | 1 | Musée D'orsay |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
July 14 is a large-scale oil painting from 1889 that captures a vibrant and bustling night scene, depicting a crowded, celebratory gathering such as a street festival or parade. The composition is dense and panoramic, utilizing a wide horizontal format to portray a massive, moving crowd. The scene is characterized by a dark, moody color palette of deep blues, blacks, and browns, which is punctuated by bright highlights of white,…
This black and white woodcut print from 1898 presents a crowded, somber composition centered on a funeral procession. The image functions as a journalistic illustration, characterized by a flattened perspective and bold, graphic lines. At the heart of the scene, a group of figures gathers around a body being carried through a dense crowd. The typography at the top of the frame reads "Rochefort est mort!", indicating the subject matter…
The room is thick with a heavy, hushed stillness. A man and a woman lean inward, their bodies forming a protective arc over a bed where two small children sleep. The air feels weighted by the dimness of the chamber, yet a soft, directional light spills across the scene, catching the stark white of the linens and the gentle curves of the children's faces. This light acts as a silent…
Tournee Du Chat Noir. Chat sur un fauteuil and Le baiser come next.
Tournee Du Chat Noir, Chat sur un fauteuil, Le baiser, Zwei Katzen, July 14, La Feuille, no. 14, Letter from a Striker (Lettre d'un Gréviste), The Poor People, The Laundresses and Portrait Drawing Of Suzanne Valadon. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 58 works by Théophile Steinlen, dated from 1889 to 1903.
Mostly in Musée Alphonse-georges Poulain (Vernon), Musee des Arts Decoratifs (Paris) and Petit Palais (Paris). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1890s: 7 of the 58 works on this page were made then, La Feuille, no. 14 among them.
On this page, the earliest is July 14 (1889) and the latest The Poor People (1903).
Melancholy (3), Cat (2) and Poster (2), across the 58 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 4 of the 58 works on this page.
Art nouveau, judging by the originals on this page.
Les Permissionnaires, Lion en cage and Deux lionnes marchant de profil gauche: the Musée Alphonse-georges Poulain, Vernon holds 4 of the works on this page.
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen was far more than a mere illustrator; he was the visual poet of the Belle Époque, a man whose brush and lithographic stone captured the very heartbeat of Paris. Born in 1859 in Lausanne, Switzerland, his journey from the quiet landscapes of his Swiss youth to the smoky, vibrant cabarets of Montmartre is a quintessential tale of artistic destiny. His early years were marked by a disciplined approach to design, honed during his time working in textile mills in Mulhouse. This period of practical apprenticeship instilled in him a meticulous precision and an eye for pattern that would later become a hallmark of his iconic poster work. However, the call of the avant-garde was irresistible, leading him to the bohemian epicenter of France, where he would eventually weave himself into the very fabric of Parisian culture.
Upon arriving in Paris, Steinlen found himself immersed in a whirlwind of creative energy. Influenced by the legendary artistic circles surrounding Le Chat Noir, he moved among the luminaries of the era, forging deep connections with figures such as Adolphe Willette and François Bocion. It was within this atmosphere of radical experimentation that his style began to coalesce. He possessed a unique ability to blend the delicate, flowing lines of the Art Nouveau movement with a gritty, empathetic realism. While many of his contemporaries focused solely on the ethereal or the aristocratic, Steinlen turned his gaze toward the streets, finding profound beauty in the overlooked: the street performers, the working class, and the nocturnal wanderers of the city.
Steinlen’s technical prowess was most vibrantly displayed through his mastery of printmaking and lithography. He understood, perhaps better than any artist of his generation, the power of the poster as a medium of mass communication and public emotion. His work for Aristide Bruant’s legendary cabaret productions transformed advertising into high art, using bold silhouettes and striking color palettes to command the attention of every passerby on the Parisian boulevards. These works were not merely advertisements; they were windows into a lifestyle of rebellion, romance, and rhythmic vitality.
Beyond the commercial allure of his posters, Steinlen’s oeuvre is characterized by a remarkable versatility in subject matter:
The historical significance of Théophile Steinlen lies in his ability to bridge the gap between fine art and popular culture. He elevated the ephemeral nature of street posters to the status of museum-worthy masterpieces, ensuring that the spirit of the Belle Époque would endure long after the era itself had faded. His work remains a vital touchstone for understanding the transition from the romanticism of the 19th century to the modern graphic sensibilities of the 20th century.
Even today, Steinlen’s influence can be felt in the way we perceive the intersection of design and emotion. He taught us that art does not only belong in gilded galleries but lives in the streets, in the shadows of a cabaret, and in the quiet gaze of a stray cat. Through his prolific output, he left behind a visual legacy that continues to enchant, reminding us of a time when Paris was the undisputed center of the artistic universe, and where every line drawn could tell a story of human connection and urban magic.
