Decorative Late 19th Century French Poster by Cheret, H:52.5" W:37.5". Historically the earliest origins of the poster are traced back to the 16th century when printed panels of paper began to replace the town crier as a means of conveying community news and information. This visual method of communication were of such subject matters as: of political decrees, church events, obituaries, town meetings and other news that impacted community members. With the Invention of Lithography around 1798, by Alois Senefelder of Austria this laid a sturdy foundation for the future of posters. Despite Senefelder's impressive body of work in the art of poster design and production, Jules Cheret is considered the father of the poster industry. By the 1860s, Cheret had pioneered rapid color lithography and the ability for mass production. Cheret also helped transform posters from a simple means of news conveyance into an aesthetic art form. There was a prominent poster art movement during the 1890s, with the use of posters as a form of aesthetic advertising which spread through Europe and helped sell a variety of products and services. It was during 1895 through 1900, again Cheret was at the forefront of the poster art movement, where he created the successful and historical "Masters of the Poster" lithographic series. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who designed dramatic posters of Parisian personalities, was also a popular artist of this era, along with Mucha and others. It was then that the movement was introduced into the United States by poster artist Will Bradley. In our own American History Posters played crucial role after the First World War began in 1914, posters became an influential means of displaying specific war and revolution information that governments wanted to convey. Poster design constantly evolved throughout the 20th century and featured assorted styles of the social history of the contemporaty times, it illustrates the importance of this evolution and its communication plus the decorative color and narrative of Posters. LifestyleAntiques.com is the web site where one can shop on line or if you are in the area we are an antique dealer in Summerland, California just 3 minutes south of Santa Barbara. Specializing in European Antique Furniture and our accent is antique lighting for your home, or office with handmade parchment shades adorning the selection of unique lamps. We specialize in Decorative Arts and French furniture as well as antique furniture from Spain and Italy, you will find the shop warm and inviting.

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Vintage Posters