Both Ethel Reed and Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen were renowned illustrators and poster designers, even if Ethel Reed was not quite as prolific as Steinlen. Reed and Steinlen’s works each feature the sweeping lines and energy indicative of art nouveau, but while Steinlen seemed to aim to capture the realities of Parisian society, Reed’s work aimed to capture people's imagination. Reed’s figures are less realistic and more dramatic, tending towards a seemingly Japanese-influenced figure, thicker outlines, and sparser, bolder color (such as in the poster for the book Miss Traumeri)--although Steinlen does not shy away from favoring one color, either, as seen in the vibrancy of the red dress in the 1897 poster for Guillot Brothers sterilized milk.
