Jules Cheret Art Prints

Jules Chéret, (31 May 1836 – 23 September 1932) was a French painter and lithographer who became a master of poster art. Born in Paris, France to a poor, but creative family of artisans, a lack of finances meant Chéret had very limited education. Although some of his paintings earned him a certain respect, it was work creating advertising posters that he took on just to pay his bills that eventually became his dedication and for which he is remembered today. Influenced by the scenes of frivolity depicted in the works of Jean-Honoré Fragonard and other Rococo artists such as Antoine Watteau, Chéret created vivid poster ads for the cabarets, music halls, and theaters such as the Eldorado, the Olympia, the Folies Bergères, Theatre de l'Opera, the Alcazar d'Ete and the Moulin Rouge. Eventually he became a major advertising force, adding the railroad companies and a number of manufacturing businesses to his client list. In 1895, Chéret created the Maîtres de l'Affiche collection, a significant art publication of smaller sized reproductions featuring the best works of ninety-seven Parisian artists. His success inspired an industry that saw the emergence of a new generation of poster designers and painters such as Charles Gesmar and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.