Le Journal | Maitre de L’Affiche: Plate #155

This artwork is from Les Maitres de L'Affiche series; miniature versions of outstanding stone lithograph artworks of the most important advertising posters by the finest artists. The renowned French author, Emile Zola was determined to produce a new type of novel that would probe deeply into every area of human existence, and document every social ill, no matter how politically sensitive. He called his new school of fiction, naturalism, and he wrote a series of 20 novels between 1871 and 1893 about one family, the Rougon-Macquart's, to illustrate his theories. After 1893 his novels are less objective and more evangelistic. They include the series “The Three Cities”, comprising of “Lourdes”(1894), “Rome”(1896) and “Paris”(1898)… Lucas uses an enticing lady, shoulders bared, writing quill in hand, basking in the moonlight, to elegantly announce the publication of Emile Zola's novel “Rome” in the popular Paris publication “Le Journal”.