Jules Cheret: Artist of the Belle Epoque and Pioneer of Poster Art (Жюль Шере: Художник эпохи прекрасного и первопроходец искусства постера)

Jules Cheret (1836 — 1932) is considered the father of modern posters. Through the use of colour lithography he developed commercial posters into an independent art form and contributed to the transformation of the urban image of the art metropolis Paris with his enormous production of colour posters and advertising art. The effect of his work wasn't only noticeable in public spaces, but artists like Henri Toulouse-Lautrec also consequently adopted the medium and developed its visual language further. As a lithographer, printer, designer, painter, decorator and illustrator, Jules Cheret was a prominent figure in Parisian art and literary circles at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. This publication focuses on his pioneering poster art, which covers a wide range of subjects from circuses, concerts and exhibitions to ready-made fashion, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and press products, thanks to the increased demand brought about by the liberalisation of the media, the development of the rail network and the upturn in economy and trade. Jules Cheret developed a striking individual style in the neo-rococo tradition, but that also displayed the first modern elements which were to fascinate impressionists like Georges Seurat.