Georges Goursat, better known as Sem, captured the style, vanity, and performance of Belle Époque society with a sharp caricaturist’s eye. His figures are elegant, exaggerated, and instantly alive with social observation.

Working in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, Sem became known for drawings and albums that recorded fashionable crowds, celebrities, theatre culture, and high society. His line was quick and economical, often saying more through posture and silhouette than through detail.

His art remains a vivid record of a world built on spectacle and display. With humor, precision, and a keen sense of character, Goursat turned social life into visual theatre, making elegance itself feel both glamorous and absurd.