Exposition internationale de Lyon 1913

Jules Chéret made this lithographic poster to promote the Exposition internationale de Lyon in 1914. I love the breezy lightness and energy of this image, which is achieved through the layering of transparent washes of color. Look at the female figure being swept along in the arms of the man. Chéret has evoked movement and dynamism with thin, chalky strokes. The way the colours are blended gives the effect of the figures being pulled along at speed. See how the yellow of her dress bleeds into the surrounding green of the foliage, or the way the blues of the sky meet the water behind the city. Chéret was known for his poster designs, and the influence of Japanese woodblock prints can be seen in his flat planes of colour and bold outlines. His joyful, energetic style is reminiscent of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, another master of the poster form. Here is a piece that understands art as a continuous dialogue.