Jules Cheret (1836 – 1932) – The Father of Modern Poster Art

Jules Cheret is referred to as the father of the modern poster. He was a French painter who became a master of Belle Epoque poster art. Throughout his long life, Cheret produced more than 1,000 posters. His posters were light, cheerful oils, and his pastels were upbeat and positive. His extravagantly colourful designs were used to regularly promote upcoming theatre productions, generated a devoted following, and turned him into a household name.

I was recently browsing through one of my favourite graphic design books, “100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design.” Idea No.10 is Female Archetypes, and its development is attributed to Jules Cheret. In an effort to further acquaint myself with his work, I took myself to the Australian National Library online, Google Arts and Culture, and several other terrific resources.

Father of the Modern Poster

He initially considered adapting art to general advertising by studying circus pictures. Cheret was first in his field, and there is a general consensus that he developed this advertising medium. This sense of visual communication in his work dominated his commercial work.

In the Casino de Paris, I enjoyed how he used black so that the words appeared to pop out of the poster. This is similar to a drop shadow effect used in the digital environment. He uses yellow and pastel to create friendliness, warmth, and a sense of fun with his posters. His headings and titles are often outlined in black, which creates a sense of hierarchy and contrast with his illustrations. He emphasises red in many of his posters, especially for concerts and plays.

His first piece of note, created in 1867, was a poster advertising “La Biche au Bois” (The Doe in the Wood), a fairy play. The printing style is very similar to that of the U.S. dollar Bill.

Apprentice Lithographer

Jules Cheret was born in Paris on May 31, 1836, into a family of artisans. His father was a typographer. At 13, he became an apprentice lithographer, but he was already interested in painting. He regularly went to the Louvre to admire Rubens Fragonard and Watteau. It was shortly after completing his apprenticeship that he enrolled in courses at the National School of Design.

Developed Lithographic Technique

He was then employed as a designer and created lithographic labels for brochures and book covers. In 1856, he left France for England to learn new methods of colour lithography. He designed and printed notices for a popular London perfumer.

Back in Paris in 1866, he created his printing press to produce posters illustrated in colour. His posters were full of grace and gaiety and soon covered the walls of late nineteenth-century Paris.

An Inspiration for Commercial Art

His success was rapid, and his reputation was built on the creation of commercial posters. He inspired much of the commercial art of the time, including book covers, Avis de Naissance (Birth notices), music titles, invitations, and menus.

He used typographic techniques such as tracking and leading and San Serif Font styles for his headings. He also used serif subheadings that were full and weighty with restrained flourishes.

In 1881, he sold his business and became artistic director of the Imprimerie Chaix, which allowed him to devote himself more to his creative work: posters, drawings, and gouache-style paintings.

A Study in Patience

His posters were unrushed, and their final state is the result of his ideas scratched in a scrawl, not unlike the mock-up process of a modern graphic designer. His ‘mock-ups’ used fusain, pencil, chalk, gouache and watercolours, and often he painstakingly created a version in each medium.

In 1889, he held his first exhibition and received a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle. He did not like the commercial spirit of fairs and exhibitions. His work as a painter and artist is not as widely known as his poster art.

Recent Exhibitions and Publications

In 2022, the Milwaukee Art Museum hosted “Always New: The Posters of Jules Chéret,” the first solo exhibition of Chéret’s work in the United States. The exhibition featured over 100 of his dynamic posters, highlighting his contributions to graphic arts and the evolution of advertising. This showcase underscored Chéret’s role in elevating lithography to an art form and his impact on modern visual communication. (Museum of Science and Industry)

Accompanying the exhibition, a comprehensive catalogue was published, offering in-depth insights into Chéret’s techniques, artistic philosophy, and the cultural context of his work. This publication serves as a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts of graphic design and art history. (19th Century Art Worldwide)

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

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