Jules Cheret is unquestionably the father of the poster. An artist and technician.
In 1869 Jules Chéret printed his first colour poster in France. He was "the father of modern lithography". Cheret brought color lithography to the highest levels of perfection by demonstrating how all the hues of the rainbow could be achieved with three or four colors. He literally created not only a new art form, but an industry as well. The artists of Paris led the way in the great poster movement.
Their designs were influenced, in part, by Japanese woodcuts. This notable group headed by Chéret and including Steinlen, Grasset, Bonnard, Willete, Forain, and Toulose-Lautrec, were decorating the walls of their city with lithographic masterpieces and bringing light and gaiety to a workday world.
The influence of these artists spread internationally, and many of their designs have never been excelled.
His training as a lithographer, superb draftsmanship and an exquisite sense of color enabled him to elevate the poster to new aesthetic levels. By the 1890's, Cheret's posters were the joy of Paris and its billboards were infused with new life. Cheret proved the poster was art and demonstrated that artistic style and commercial value can co-exist and create a new sense of vision. ...

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