Joets Etrennes, 1891

Grands Magasins du Louvre

Jules Chéret was a French artist who mastered the art of lithography in the late 19th and early 20th century. He wasn’t a privileged boy, and he didn’t receive much of a formal education, but he had a background of very artistic and creative family which was enough for him to become one of the most prolific designers of his time. The list of his clients went from local cabarets through the Folies Bergère to the Théâtre de l’Opéra.

He was born in Paris in 1836. His family was poor, but they were all very creative artists. He was only 13 when he became a disciple of a local lithographer and assisted him for three years. He gained enough knowledge to enroll at the École Nationale de Dessin. Like many of his contemporaries, Chéret was learning the painting techniques and was getting inspired by visiting the museums and studios of past and present artists around Paris.