Paris Courses - Les Maitre de l'Affiche - 1895

Cheret poster reading Porte Maillot racetrack, Paris races; public enclosure, 1 franc; paddock 2 francs; 'New Sport'; grand prize: a diamond riviere worth 20,000 francs. - Jules Cheret (French; 1836-1932) Leading lithographer; set up his own shop, specializing in posters, in 1866 (in 1881 this shop became part of the Imprimerie Chaix, publishers of Les Maitres de l'Affice); after selling shop, continued doing commercial graphics, but also painting, tapestry cartoons, etc.; combining rococo grace and modern Parisian elegance, created a true poster style (rather than imitation of oil paintings); first major poster artist to draw directly on lithographic stone.