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Famous Poster Artists
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Published: August 21, 2006
Rarely, if ever, does an artist enjoy his or her fame and fortune in his or her lifetime. Typically, artists die and are gone for decades (some for centuries) before they are given their due. It wasn't until more than fifty years after his death that Vincent Van Gogh's paintings were actually appreciated with the high regard now bestowed.
After having suffered mental anguish, poverty, and obscurity, many of his paintings sold for small fortunes. Such is usually the life of artists: alienated and materialistically unrewarded. But not all artists' lives are so despondent.
Jules Cheret is one individual who defies the struggling, starving artist stigma. Born on May 31, 1836, Jules Cheret tarried the path many artists are known to avoid - commercialism. Cheret, who made the transition from painting to poster print, is one of the most famous poster artists because he is the first to popularize posters as an art-form and also the inventor of three stone lithography, which printed faster and provided more variety in color. Cheret had studied the previous masters, as many fledgling artists of his day had, and sought to carry out their traditions. However, the industrial boom of Paris had provided him with a lucrative career in poster advertisement. One of Cheret's most famous posters, now heavily in reprint, is the 1897 Theatre de l'Opera. This particular print indicates Cheret's sense of blending foreground with background, bright colors affixed to surrounding muted tones, and fluid, curving lines. He enjoyed a long and lustrous career and life, dying at ninety-six years of age on September 23, 1932. Cheret is one of the few exceptions of lacking monetary success, and, as a pioneer and inventor, he remains one of the most famous poster artists.
Another famous poster artist who leaves behind an outstanding body of work is Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Toulouse-Lautrec was born November 24, 1864 to aristocratic heritage. Respectively, at ages twelve and fourteen, he broke his legs, and they improperly healed. This caused his unusually short stature, standing at about four and a half feet. Because he could not participate in rigorous physical activities, Toulouse-Lautrec immersed himself in the art that captivated him as a young child. And like his immediate predecessor Cheret, Toulouse-Lautrec became a renowned artists of print, from magazine ads to illustrations to posters. His most famous poster is the 1898 Moulin Rouge, which depicts life in the Montmarte night life with raucous and ghoulish flair. What solidifies him as a famous poster artist is his keen ability to capture action with great swooping energetic lines, muted yet subtle and lively colors, and eerie characterization of the subjects. His style is Impressionistic and beautifully grotesque, all at the same time. But his status as a famous poster artist - or any other kind of artist, for that matter - is often overshadowed by his indulgence in the Parisian street scene and alcoholism. He finally succumbed to syphilis and alcoholism on September 9, 1901. However, his artistic legacy places him in history's annals.
Moving from late nineteenth century into more modern modes, Leonetto Cappiello takes poster art to a new level of wit. Born in Italy in 1875, Cappiello began his career as a caricaturist and illustrator for magazines - namely, Le Rire, which often featured works by Toulouse-Lautrec. His deft drawings propelled him into poster art, making him one of the most famous poster artists of the modern age. Influenced by Cheret and Toulouse-Lautrec, Cappiello kept certain elements of his Art Nouveau predecessors but removed one large element - the disruptive background. Cappiello posters are sleek and focused; the subject matters stretch from the elegant and refined to the acute and curious. One work that incorporates Cappiello with the lexicon of famous poster artists is the 1905 Maurin Quina poster. This poster juts out of the littering noise of its environment with sophistication and simplicity. A simple black background, bold block print, and a penetrating green devil holding a bottle is a fine cross between Art Nouveau and Art Deco that communicates a suggestive visual pun. In fact, Cappiello's works display the early most traits of Art Deco in poster art; he is often cited by art experts as the originator of Modernist posters. Dying in 1942, Leonetto Cappiello eked out forty-one years as a lithographer and today has the most purchased posters in reprint.
Even further into the twentieth century, Adolphe Mouron Cassandre leaves an indelible impression as a famous poster artist. Born in the Ukraine on January 24, 1901 to French heritage, Cassandre left his his Eastern European home to study formal art at Ecoles des Beaux-Arts (School of the Beautiful Arts) and Academie Julian (Julian Academy). After training, Cassandre parlayed his formal training into his own graphic design business where he created his most popular posters. Cubism and Art Deco are most explicitly evident in Cassandre's works; his 1935 Bonal poster uses Cubist geometric sensibilities to create a man drinking in the middle of a striped background. His 1935 Normandie uses graceful, harmonious fluted lines found in Art Deco to create an enormous cruise ship frontally advancing towards the viewer. An influence of Cappiello, both of the posters have simple backgrounds with centrally focused figures. Cassandre was the first to air brush his backgrounds and figures, giving them a smoother, more machine-like texture and making him an even more famous poster artist. Unfortunately, after serving in the French army during World War II, Cassandre was unable to resurrect his lithographic career and took odd jobs painting and designing for theatre and merchandise. Sadly, like Van Gogh, Cassandre struggled with depression; he committed suicide on June 19, 1968. As a famous poster artist, Cassandre is the bridge between what Cappiello started and the full-blown Modernist poster movement.
Vincent Van Gogh was not alone as a Post-Impressionist. His company includes Monet, Degas, and a host of others who produced mostly unrecognized art in their time. Their names, however, have become household names, recognizable in an instant . Likewise, Cheret, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cappiello, and Cassandre have been as influential, and their works are more expensive now than during the poster artists' lifetime. The great difference between the Post-Impressionists and these famous poster artists is the commercial demand for posters driving the artists' creativity; the demand was urgent; thus fortune and fame were quickly and easily attained. Despite any commercial value either art form can acquire, a Van Gogh painting or a poster offers us a necessary and valuable reflective gaze into our world and lives. And this alone makes them high achievements worthy of appreciation.
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Jules Cheret is one individual who defies the struggling, starving artist stigma. Born on May 31, 1836, Jules Cheret tarried the path many artists are known to avoid - commercialism. Cheret, who made the transition from painting to poster print, is one of the most famous poster artists because he is the first to popularize posters as an art-form and also the inventor of three stone lithography, which printed faster and provided more variety in color. Cheret had studied the previous masters, as many fledgling artists of his day had, and sought to carry out their traditions. However, the industrial boom of Paris had provided him with a lucrative career in poster advertisement. One of Cheret's most famous posters, now heavily in reprint, is the 1897 Theatre de l'Opera. This particular print indicates Cheret's sense of blending foreground with background, bright colors affixed to surrounding muted tones, and fluid, curving lines. He enjoyed a long and lustrous career and life, dying at ninety-six years of age on September 23, 1932. Cheret is one of the few exceptions of lacking monetary success, and, as a pioneer and inventor, he remains one of the most famous poster artists.
Another famous poster artist who leaves behind an outstanding body of work is Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Toulouse-Lautrec was born November 24, 1864 to aristocratic heritage. Respectively, at ages twelve and fourteen, he broke his legs, and they improperly healed. This caused his unusually short stature, standing at about four and a half feet. Because he could not participate in rigorous physical activities, Toulouse-Lautrec immersed himself in the art that captivated him as a young child. And like his immediate predecessor Cheret, Toulouse-Lautrec became a renowned artists of print, from magazine ads to illustrations to posters. His most famous poster is the 1898 Moulin Rouge, which depicts life in the Montmarte night life with raucous and ghoulish flair. What solidifies him as a famous poster artist is his keen ability to capture action with great swooping energetic lines, muted yet subtle and lively colors, and eerie characterization of the subjects. His style is Impressionistic and beautifully grotesque, all at the same time. But his status as a famous poster artist - or any other kind of artist, for that matter - is often overshadowed by his indulgence in the Parisian street scene and alcoholism. He finally succumbed to syphilis and alcoholism on September 9, 1901. However, his artistic legacy places him in history's annals.
Moving from late nineteenth century into more modern modes, Leonetto Cappiello takes poster art to a new level of wit. Born in Italy in 1875, Cappiello began his career as a caricaturist and illustrator for magazines - namely, Le Rire, which often featured works by Toulouse-Lautrec. His deft drawings propelled him into poster art, making him one of the most famous poster artists of the modern age. Influenced by Cheret and Toulouse-Lautrec, Cappiello kept certain elements of his Art Nouveau predecessors but removed one large element - the disruptive background. Cappiello posters are sleek and focused; the subject matters stretch from the elegant and refined to the acute and curious. One work that incorporates Cappiello with the lexicon of famous poster artists is the 1905 Maurin Quina poster. This poster juts out of the littering noise of its environment with sophistication and simplicity. A simple black background, bold block print, and a penetrating green devil holding a bottle is a fine cross between Art Nouveau and Art Deco that communicates a suggestive visual pun. In fact, Cappiello's works display the early most traits of Art Deco in poster art; he is often cited by art experts as the originator of Modernist posters. Dying in 1942, Leonetto Cappiello eked out forty-one years as a lithographer and today has the most purchased posters in reprint.
Even further into the twentieth century, Adolphe Mouron Cassandre leaves an indelible impression as a famous poster artist. Born in the Ukraine on January 24, 1901 to French heritage, Cassandre left his his Eastern European home to study formal art at Ecoles des Beaux-Arts (School of the Beautiful Arts) and Academie Julian (Julian Academy). After training, Cassandre parlayed his formal training into his own graphic design business where he created his most popular posters. Cubism and Art Deco are most explicitly evident in Cassandre's works; his 1935 Bonal poster uses Cubist geometric sensibilities to create a man drinking in the middle of a striped background. His 1935 Normandie uses graceful, harmonious fluted lines found in Art Deco to create an enormous cruise ship frontally advancing towards the viewer. An influence of Cappiello, both of the posters have simple backgrounds with centrally focused figures. Cassandre was the first to air brush his backgrounds and figures, giving them a smoother, more machine-like texture and making him an even more famous poster artist. Unfortunately, after serving in the French army during World War II, Cassandre was unable to resurrect his lithographic career and took odd jobs painting and designing for theatre and merchandise. Sadly, like Van Gogh, Cassandre struggled with depression; he committed suicide on June 19, 1968. As a famous poster artist, Cassandre is the bridge between what Cappiello started and the full-blown Modernist poster movement.
Vincent Van Gogh was not alone as a Post-Impressionist. His company includes Monet, Degas, and a host of others who produced mostly unrecognized art in their time. Their names, however, have become household names, recognizable in an instant . Likewise, Cheret, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cappiello, and Cassandre have been as influential, and their works are more expensive now than during the poster artists' lifetime. The great difference between the Post-Impressionists and these famous poster artists is the commercial demand for posters driving the artists' creativity; the demand was urgent; thus fortune and fame were quickly and easily attained. Despite any commercial value either art form can acquire, a Van Gogh painting or a poster offers us a necessary and valuable reflective gaze into our world and lives. And this alone makes them high achievements worthy of appreciation.
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