Corset Le Furet 1901
Buy this print on Etsy →Daring for its day and irresistible still, Corset Le Furet is Leonetto Cappiello's 1901 advertisement for a brand that promised something radical: firmness without constraint. It is a poster about freedom dressed as elegance, and it remains one of the more progressive images in the golden age of French advertising.
Cappiello's genius was to sell an idea rather than an object, and here the idea is liberation. Corset le Furet marketed itself through a heady blend of exoticism and French refinement, and the design reflects that promise, exchanging the rigid silhouette of the old corset for a new vocabulary of comfort, movement and allure. In doing so the poster quietly charts a turning point in how intimate apparel was imagined - away from constriction and toward a modern, self-assured femininity that would define the coming decades.
Leonetto Cappiello (1875-1942), often called the father of modern advertising, revolutionised the poster with bold, witty figures that leap off vivid dark backgrounds. Rather than merely depicting a product, he gave each brand an unforgettable visual mascot - an approach that shaped commercial art for the entire twentieth century.
The work belongs to the Belle Epoque, the 'beautiful era' between 1871 and 1914 that was the golden age of the illustrated poster. Colour lithography allowed artists to cover Paris in vivid imagery, and pioneers such as Cheret, Mucha and Cappiello transformed everyday commercial advertising into sought-after collectable art.
Displayed at scale, a Cappiello poster becomes a genuine focal point. Its confident composition and saturated palette hold their own above a sofa, bed or console, anchor a gallery wall of mixed prints, and bring warmth, colour and a sense of history to a living room, hallway, dining room, home bar, dressing room, boutique or studio. Its stylish subject makes it a witty, elegant choice for a bedroom or a fashion-minded space.
Printed to order on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper with fade-resistant pigment inks for rich, gallery-quality colour and crisp detail. Choose your size from the drop-down menu - 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30 or 24x36 inches. Carefully packaged and shipped rolled in a sturdy tube (or flat for the smallest size); frame not included.
This is a faithful reproduction of the original stone lithograph - colour-matched and printed to archival standards rather than a flat mass-market copy. It preserves the texture and character of the antique poster while arriving crisp, clean and ready to frame.
A memorable gift for anyone who loves vintage advertising art, Cappiello and Belle Epoque poster design - and a lasting way to bring a piece of poster history into a home, studio or workplace. Reproduced from a high-resolution scan of the original lithograph; subtle age-toning is part of its authentic historic character.
