l'Escarmouche - Les Maitre de l'Affiche - 1895

The contrast between the capital-owning classes with army bayonets behind them and the ordinary people caused widespread bitterness. For the common man the bar-counter became a barricade at which he voiced his dissatisfaction with the situation. In his day Ibel's admirers placed him on a par with Toulouse-Lautrec, perhaps because what one might call his stenographic drawing has much in common with Lautrec. L'Escamouche (the Skirmish) is an interesting specimen of French poster art, which, however, because of the mysterious laws governing placards and posters, was never displayed on the streets but could only appear inside closed rooms, as is expressly stated on this poster. (Reference: Paris 1900, p.58)