Jules Cheret (1836-1932)
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Jules Cheret was a French lithographer, printmaker and painter. He came from a family of poor artists and at age 13, Cheret had to leave school to become an apprentice to a lithographer. This, of course, sparked his interest in art and he eventually was able to attend the National School of Design in Paris under Boisbaudran. Like so many other poor artists, Cheret also schooled himself by studying the old masters at the Louvre and other museums.
Cheret found success early and was able to sell a number of his drawings around Paris. However, this did not completely satisfy the artist, so he left for London looking for different ways to make money as an artist. However, all he found there was a job sketching furniture drawings, so he returned to Paris. During this time, Cheret would also travel to Italy. Upon his return, Cheret was commissioned to create a poster and thus his career as a poster maker began.
As a lithographer, Cheret would be commissioned to make posters for such famous venues as the Moulin Rouge, the Folies Bergeres, and other cabarets, theaters and music halls. He would eventually become a highly sought after advertiser, creating advertisements for household items, liquor and other manufacturers.
Cheret’s posters featured the epitome of Parisian elegance of the day, the “belle époque” as they were called. Using only three color litho stones, Cheret manages to capture the beauty and the ambiance of the French bourgeois and bohemian of the day. His style is highly recognizable and symbolizes the ambiance of his era, and typically features beautiful care-free women in primary colors (red, yellow, blue).
One could say that Cheret was responsible for the boom of poster art popularity among other French artists such as Steinlen and Toulouse-Lautrec. Cheret has been called the father of modern lithography by critics, as well as the father of the poster. He even created a publication in 1895 called the “Maitres de l’Affiche” collection which featured the advertising work of nearly 100 French advertising artists.
Because of the nature of advertisement, Cheret created an endless amount of work during his lifetime. In fact, by 1900, he had already created over 1,000 posters. His posters are highly collectible items, as well as historical pieces of art. Strangely, Cheret’s work was not viewed by the public until 1912, as his previous work was always sold directly to clients. However, after a large exhibition held at the Louvre, the public was able to see Cheret as more than just a talented lithographer, but as a masterful painter as well.
Today, Cheret’s work is housed worldwide, especially in the Charles Cheret museum in Nice, and is a reminder of “belle époque” Paris. While it would be a treasure to own one of his paintings, to own one of his advertisements or posters is highly likely. That beautiful French poster found at an open air market may be an original after all!
If you believe you own a work of art by Jules Cheret, contact Art Experts. We authenticate, appraise, research and provide Certificates of Authenticity (COA’s) for works by Jules Cheret.
