OUGD403 - Studio Brief 4

The great artists of Paris led the way in the poster movement. Their designs were influenced by Japanese woodcuts. This notable group headed by Cheret and including the great masters, Steinlen, Grasset, Bonnard, Willette, Forain, and the most famous artist of them all Toulouse-Lautrec. Their designs were decorating the walls of their city with lithographic masterpieces - bringing light to a workday world. The influence of these artists spread internationally, and are still spoken about to this day.

Posters back in the day were used to promote various political parties, recruit soldiers, advertise products and spread ideas to the general public. Here are examples of a few:

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge - La Goulue 1891 -

During the 1890s

Toulouse-Lautrec immersed himself in art. He became an important Post-Impressionist painter, art nouveau illustrator, and lithographer, and recorded in his works many details of the late-19th-century bohemian lifestyle In Paris.

Cheret, Jules. El Dorado 1894 -
Although lithography was invented in 1798
Cherry developed a new lithographic technique that suited better the needs of advertisers: he added a lot more colour which, in conjunction with innovative typography, rendered the poster much more expressive. Not surprisingly, Chéret  has involved sexual imagery in advertising or, at least, to have exploited the feminine image as an advertising amusement. In contrast with those previously painted by Toulouse lautrec, Chéret's laughing and provocative feminine figures meant a new conception of art 
as being of service to advertising.

James Montgomery Flagg, Uncle Sam 1917 -

Americans are most familiar with Uncle Sam 

When the United States became involved in the First World War a group of artists, with Charles Dana Gibson, as chairman, established the Division of Pictorial Publicity. The group met once a week at Keene's Chop House in New York City, to discuss the government's requests for posters. During this period, Flagg designed 46 posters. This included the famous Uncle Sam poster with the caption "I Want You for the U.S. Army".