Europa - Poster Art

A poster is a publicaly displayed advertisement or annoucement, generally printed on paper, with the intention of attracting attention and informing the passerby. Although printed public announcements can be found as far back as the 15th century, the beginnings of poster as we know them today are connected with the 1960s and innovations in the area of litography that made fast and inexpensive multicolor printing possible. The first great poster artist was a Frenchman, Jules Chéret. The posters that Chéret produced in 1867 for the theatrical performances of the leading actress of the day, Sarah Bernhardt, influenced the spread of this new art form throughout the world and attracted other artists to this mode of expression. The posters by Henri de Tolouse-Lautrec in the late 19th century are lively and picturesque depictions of Parisian life, and today are of exceptional value to collectors and esteemed works of art. In 1894, Alphonse Mucha produced a poster for the artistic scene for the next decade. During World War I, posters were the main medium for propaganda. In the USA, over 20,000,000 posters with 2,500 different designs were printed in only two years. During the 1920s, Art Deco developed under the influence of industrial advances and new art trends as the dominant style for art posters.