Théophile Alexandre Steinlen

This sheet illustrates lyrics written by Steinlen’s friend, the singer and songwriter Aristide Bruant (1851-1925). The topic is the execution of Fulges-Benjamin Géomay, a young French army corporal, at the Place de la Roquette on May 23, 1889, for the murder of a widowed wine seller. In his confession, Géomay claimed that he committed the murder because he needed money to support his mistress, a Montmartre prostitute and washerwoman. His case became a public sensation, and many Parisians attended the execution. Steinlen’s drawing indicates his well-known sympathy for the poor and his practice of chronicling humanitarian concerns. The artwork is thought to have been reproduced as sheet music to be sold in Bruant’s cafe, although no printed examples have been found.