Description
By the 1890s, chromolithographic colour printing had become widely used in Europe and France was at the forefront of the use of this technique for the creation of commercial posters. Several noted artists working in Paris, such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Eugène Grasset, T.A. Steinlen and Alphonse Mucha painted designs especially for use on posters.
However, it was their forebearer Jules Chéret (1836–1933), who was the true pioneer of French poster design. Chéret, with his own printing firm, knew how to make use of this technique to great effect whilst maintaining complete artistic control.
His compositions were often dominated by large central figures and prominent hand-lettering, printed in bright colours, embellished with semi-transparent washes and stipple effects.
They were artistically very high quality and the printing outstanding. Although conceived for commercial use at around the turn of the 20th century, the creation of posters was a true artform and an extraordinary collection of prints was created. Nowadays, original posters from that era are highly valuable collectors’ items.
- Dimensions (box) 230 x 170 x 35 mm (c. 9”x 6¾” x 1½”)
Description 40 sheets (A5), 20 envelopes (C6), 8 greeting cards (A5 folded to A6) and 25 stickers and labels
SKU: 9789460094958