Jules Cheret & Eugene Grasset

What first caught my attention was the poster for "Orphee aux Enfers" by Jules Cheret. I just found this particular design visually appealing. Which is where I start my research, both Jules Cheret and Eugene Grasset played important roles in the transition from Victorian graphics to the Art Nouveau style. Cheret was assigned as an lithographic apprentice by his father, he spent most of his time lettering backwards on lithograph stones for 3 years. He ventured to London for work but had no luck, so returned to Paris. Cheret was certain that lithographic posters were the deman of the future and that they would replace typographic letterpress posters that filled the streets. That is when he produced the design to the right which did not really do him any justice. It was still of mostly Victorian design.

 Cheret traveled back to London and there is where he learned the more advanced English color lithography. He moved away from the complex designs of Victorian and simplified his designs making his figures and lettering larger. Cheret designed his new innovated drawings with bright colors consisting of blue, yellow, and red. He introduced a new type of role model for women, "Cherettes" this was a depiction of a self-assured women who were happy and living life to the fullest. Cheret opened up and almost liberated women to be what they want to be, the image to the left is an example of the Cherettes.

Now Eugene Grasset was Swiss-born and was Cheret's rival for public popularity. Grasset studied medieval art and he was also influenced by Asian art. This influence was reflected a lot in his designs, take for example his title page for "Histoire des quatre fils Aymon" above.

Not only was his design style different he also depiction of women was in opposition of Cheret's "Cherettes". Instead of being outspoken and self-assured, Grasset's exhibition poster (above) displays the women having a traditional attitude with flat or muted colors. The women above also appears to be quiet and maybe even contemplative. They are quite different yet still played important roles in the transition from Victorian to Art Nouveau. Although their designs contrasted each other they both were influenced either by the arts and crafts movement(Cheret) or the Ukiyo-e designs(Grasset).