COMMENTS TO MY PAGE "ART POSTCARDS WITH A RAILWAY MOTIVE"

Jules Chèret

Jules Chéret (1836 -1932) was a French painter, lithographer, and poster designer, widely regarded as the father of the modern illustrated advertising poster. His colorful lithographs transformed the streets of Paris into open-air art galleries and established the artistic poster as a respected form of commercial art. Born in Paris, Chéret trained as a lithographic apprentice before studying drawing at the École Nationale de Dessin. During the 1850s he worked in London, where he learned advanced color lithography and was influenced by British printing techniques. Returning to Paris in 1866, he founded his own lithographic printing establishment. His breakthrough came with large, vividly colored posters advertising theatres, music halls, cafés, exhibitions, perfumes, and consumer products. His lively compositions, graceful figures, and brilliant color harmonies became hallmarks of the Belle Époque. One of Chéret's most recognizable creations was the "Chérette"—the elegant, joyful, independent young woman who appeared in many of his posters. She represented a new image of modern femininity and became an icon of Parisian popular culture. Chéret also designed posters for railways and tourism, including the celebrated 1888–89 Orient Express poster promoting travel from London and Paris to Constantinople. His work helped define the visual identity of luxury travel during the late nineteenth century.  Over his career he produced more than 1,000 posters, influencing later masters of poster art such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha, and Leonetto Cappiello. In recognition of his artistic achievements, Chéret was made a Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1912. He spent his later years on the French Riviera and died in Nice in 1932 at the age of 96.
 

August 5th ,  2026

 

 
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