B.

An exhibition of French opera posters of "la belle époque" is currently touring New Zealand, until March 1987.

This exhibition has been kindly loaned from the collection of the Heugel family, France, who were the most important publishers in the field of lyric art during "la belle époque".

Although original works of art, opera posters were also a new mode of expression to be understood in a context of mass production and popular art. Using well-known lithographic techniques artists intended to evoke in one single image the contents of a four act opera. The exhibition touring New Zealand consists of a collection of 41 lithographic posters of operas and operattas and is unique in its class being both a summary of the history of music and a survey of the work of poster artists of this period.

This exhibition is presented under the auspices of the French Cultural Services, Wellington, and the tour has been organised by the New Zealand Art Gallery Directors' Council, kindly sponsored by Champagne Taittinger in association with Wilson Neill Wines Ales Spirits, Wellington.

('French Opera Posters of 'La Belle Époque'', Bulletin, No.46, July/August 1986, p.3)