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Jules Cheret
(1836-1932)
Jules Cheret was a French lithographer,
printmaker and painter. He came from a family of poor
artists and at age 13, Cheret had to leave school to
become an apprentice to a lithographer. This, of course,
sparked his interest in art and he eventually was able
to attend the National School of Design in Paris under
Boisbaudran. Like so many other poor artists, Cheret
also schooled himself by studying the old masters at the
Louvre and other museums.
Le Courrier Francais
Cheret found
success early and was able to sell a number of his
drawings around Paris. However, this did not completely
satisfy the artist, so he left for London looking for
different ways to make money as an artist. However, all
he found there was a job sketching furniture drawings,
so he returned to Paris. During this time, Cheret would
also travel to Italy. Upon his return, Cheret was
commissioned to create a poster and thus his career as a
poster maker began.
Sketch
As a lithographer,
Cheret would be commissioned to make posters for such
famous venues as the Moulin Rouge, the Folies Bergeres,
and other cabarets, theaters and music halls. He would
eventually become a highly sought after advertiser,
creating advertisements for household items, liquor and
other manufacturers.
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge 2
Folies Bergeres
Cheret’s posters
featured the epitome of Parisian elegance of the day,
the "belle époque” as they were called. Using only three
color litho stones, Cheret manages to capture the beauty
and the ambiance of the French bourgeois and bohemian of
the day. His style is highly recognizable and symbolizes
the ambiance of his era, and typically features
beautiful care-free women in primary colors (red,
yellow, blue).
Palais Glace
Saxoleine
One could say that
Cheret was responsible for the boom of poster art
popularity among other French artists such as Steinlen
and Toulouse-Lautrec. Cheret has been called the father
of modern lithography by critics, as well as the father
of the poster. He even created a publication in 1895
called the “Maitres de l’Affiche” collection which
featured the advertising work of nearly 100 French
advertising artists.
L'Etendard Francais
La Diaphane
Because of the nature
of advertisement, Cheret created an endless amount of
work during his lifetime. In fact, by 1900, he had
already created over 1,000 posters. His posters are
highly collectible items, as well as historical pieces
of art. Strangely, Cheret’s work was not viewed by the
public until 1912, as his previous work was always sold
directly to clients. However, after a large exhibition
held at the Louvre, the public was able to see Cheret as
more than just a talented lithographer, but as a
masterful painter as well.
Landscape
Le Pique Nique
Pantomime
Today, Cheret’s work
is housed worldwide, especially in the Charles Cheret
museum in Nice, and is a reminder of “belle époque”
Paris. While it would be a treasure to own one of his
paintings, to own one of his advertisements or posters
is highly likely. That beautiful French poster found at
an open air market may be an original after all!
