Jules Cheret Art

Jules Cheret (May, 1836 – September, 1933) is a French graphic designer and poster illustrator who has been referred to as the “father of modern poster.” After studying drawing and apprenticing as a lithographer, he received his first major poster commission for Jacques Offenbach’s operetta in 1858, and from 1859 to 1866 he designed book jackets and posters in London. The funding from Eugène Rimmel, a perfume manufacturer for whom he created packages, enabled him to establish a lithography firm in Paris in 1866. This made him to establish an innovative design approach and to maintain artistic control. In those days, most lithographers commissioned an artist to create a poster design for them, which they then copied onto a stone by a skilled craftsman. However, Cheret worked directly on the stone. He used soft watercolor-like washes, spirited brush lines, stipple, crosshatch, and areas of flat color to create dynamic images. Cheret’s style evolved from one typical of Victorian graphics, to a simpler, more dynamic approach where compositions were dominated by large central figures. His artistic influences included Antoine Watteau, Jean-Honore Fragonard, and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. He was also influenced by the stylized linear contours and flat color of Japanese woodblock prints. In 1890, Cheret was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government. They cited his ability to create art form advanced printing and also that his art served the needs of commerce and industry. Cheret designed over one thousand posters for theatres, performers, music halls, and products including medicines, beverages, and lamp oil. Framed Jules Cheret art are in great demand all over the world.