Friday 8 September 2017

Leonetto Cappiello - part 1

1902 Cappiello in his studio at 194 Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris

Leonetto Cappiello (1875 – 1942) was an Italian/French poster artist and painter, who mainly lived and worked in Paris. He is now often called 'the father of modern advertising' because of his innovation in poster design. The early advertising poster was characterised by a painterly quality as evidenced by early poster artists Jules Chéret, Alfred Choubrac and Hugo D'Alesi. Cappiello, like other young artists, worked in way that was almost the opposite of his predecessors. He was the first poster artist to use bold figures popping out of black backgrounds, a startling contrast to the posters early norm.

Cappiello’s career as a poster artist began in earnest in 1900 when he began a contract with the printer Pierre Vercasson. In this period, the printers would act as an agent for artists and commission work to them. Vercasson had a print house, and his goal was to bring vibrancy and colour to the streets of Paris, he wanted the posters that he produced to stand out from the rest and attract lucrative new advertisers to his agency.

Of course living in Paris, he was aware of the current art scene, and had seen many examples of Cappiello’s work, including a small number of posters already produced and in particular those for Le Frou-Frou. He knew that Cappiello had the potential to be exactly what he was looking for. The relationship commenced with the arrangement that Vercasson would find the clients and brief Cappiello on the product. It was then up to Cappiello to produce a sketch for the client for which he would receive the fee of 500 francs, a good amount at the time. Once the design had been approved by the client, a full size design would be produced for the poster at a size of 1x1.4m, an old French paper standard known as the Double Grand Aigle. Cappiello would also be responsible for ensuring the successful transfer of the design onto lithographic stone ready for printing.

Between 1901 and 1914, he created several hundred posters in a style that revolutionised the art of poster design. During World War I, Cappiello worked as an interpreter in Italy. After the First World War Cappiello returned to producing posters. His first meeting with Devambez in 1918 marked the start of a long discussion: three years later he signed an exclusive contract with the Paris publisher for whom he designed now famous icons: such as Kub, Campari, Paraluie Revel, Pirelli, Chocolat Klaus and Poudre de Luzy, and the famous entertainer Mistinguett at the Casino de Paris. Unlike Vercasson, Devambez did not have its own print house, and had the posters printed at a number of large printers. The agency concentrated on finding new clients from across Europe, and successfully spread Cappiello’s celebrated works across the continent. He remained with the agency until 1936..


This is part 1 of a 6-part post on the works of Leonetto Cappiello:


1898 Citronnade a L'Ananas
lithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1899 Le Frou Frou
lithograph by La Lithographie Nouvelle, Asnières ( Seine )

1900 Absinthe
lithograph 152 x 105 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1900 Amandines de Provence
lithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1900 Cachou Lajaunie
lithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1900 Folies Bergère
( proof before lettering being applied )
lithograph 130 x 90 cm by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris

1900 Folies Bergère
lithograph 130 x 90 cm by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris

1900 Hélène Chauvin
lithograph 130 x 90 cm
by Imprimerie Chaix (Atelier Chéret), Paris

1900 Juguetes
lithograph 111 x 76 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1900 Katabexine comprimés effervescents
lithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1900 La Revue Illustrée
lithograph 164 x 112 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1900 Odette Dulac
lithograph 140 x 99 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1901 Absinthe Ducros fils
lithograph 142 x 102 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1901 El Perfume
lithograph 111 x 74 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., 43, Rue de Lancry, Paris

1901 Livorno Stagione Balneare
lithograph 154 x 103 cm
by Officine G. Ricordi & C., Milan

1902 Champagne De Rochecré
ithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1902 Corset le Furet
lithograph 140 x 100 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1902 Folies Bergère - Louise Balthy
lithograph 141 x 105 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1902 Pur Champagne Damery-Epernay
lithograph 139 x 99 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1902 Théâtre du Vaudeville la Passerelle - Rentrée de RÉJANE
ithograph 139 x 99 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1903 Charbon Chimique Rubaudo
ithograph 136 x 100 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1903 Chocolat Klaus
lithograph 161 x 119 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1903 Huîtres Exquises
 lithograph 99 x 140 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1903 Katabexine
lithograph 143 x 103 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1903 La Damnation de Faaust, par Cappiello
lithograph 27 x 20 cm
published in "Paris Illustré"

1903 Valdespiino wine
( proof before lettering being applied )
lithograph 140 x 100 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1903 Valdespiino wine
lithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1904 Citronnade à l'Ananas
lithograph 142 x 103 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1904 E. & A. Mele & Ci.
lithograph by Officine G. Ricordi & C., Milan

1904 La Marquisette Liquer de Dessert
lithograph 140 x 101 cm
by Imp. P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1904 Le Friquet ( Theatre Play )
lithograph 140 x 100 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1904 The Golden Light by George Daring
lithograph 200 x 130 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Anis Infernal
lithograph 161 x 122 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Cafés Labrador
lithograph 141 x 101 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Coñac del Caballo Verde
lithograph 140 x 102 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 El Gramophone
lithograph 162 x 122 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 J. Ricard Léognan
lithograph 141 x 101 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Le Petit Coquin
lithograph 140 x 100 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Menthe-Pastille
lithograph 200 x 129 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Sodas Scarpatett
lithograph 139 x 99 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 TOG Quinquina
lithograph 130 x 100 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Vins Authentiques des Graves
 lithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1905 Xèrez-Quina-Ruiz Felix Ruiz y Ruiz Jerez
lithograph 140 x 100 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1906 Automobiles Brasier
 lithograph 162 x 122 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1906 Cachou Lajaunie
lithograph 140 x 99 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1906 Cervezas la Cruz del Campo
lithograph 162 x 122 cm
by Imprimerie Publicitè Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1906 Compania Colonial
lithograph 200 x 130 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1906 Docteur Rasurel "Sous Vetements Hygieniques"
lithograph by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

1906 Docteur Rasurel "Sous Vetements Hygieniques" 
lithograph 158 x 119 cm
by Imprimerie P. Vercasson & Cie., Paris

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