Cassandre, pseudonym of Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron[ Notice d'autorité personne : Cassandre, BnF, according to the international pseudonym convention described in the BnF authority file.] (24 January 1901 – 17 June 1968), was a French painter, commercial poster artist, and typeface designer.[http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/01/24/cassandre/ Brainpickings - Cassandre, accessdate on 27 January 2013][ Benezit Dictionary of Artists]
Early life and career
He was born Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron to French parents in
Kharkov, the capital of Kharkov Governorate in the
Russian Empire and located in the historical region of
Sloboda Ukraine.
[(ru) Great Russian Encyclopedia] As a young man, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and at the Académie Julian. The popularity of posters as advertising afforded him an opportunity to work for a Parisian printing house. Inspired by
cubism as well as
surrealism, he earned a reputation with works such as
Bûcheron (Woodcutter), a poster created for a cabinetmaker that won first prize at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes.
Cassandre became successful enough that with the help of partners he was able to set up his own advertising agency called Alliance Graphique, serving a wide variety of clients during the 1930s. He is perhaps best known for his posters advertising travel, for clients such as the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits.[ See images at Moma.org] He was a pioneer of airbrush arts.
His creations for the Dubonnet wine company were among the first posters designed in a manner that allowed them to be seen by occupants in moving vehicles. His posters are memorable for their innovative graphic solutions and their frequent denotations to such painters as Max Ernst and Pablo Picasso. In addition, he taught graphic design at the École des Arts Décoratifs and then at the École d'Art Graphique.
With typography an important part of poster design, the company created several new typeface styles. Cassandre developed Bifur in 1929, the sans serif Acier Noir in 1935, and in 1937 an all-purpose font called Peignot. In 1936, his works were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City which led to commissions from Harper's Bazaar to do cover designs.
Later career
With the onset of World War II, Cassandre served in the
French army until the fall of France. His business long gone, he survived by creating stage sets and costumes for the theatre, something he had dabbled in during the 1930s.
[ Archives du spectacle] After the war, he continued this line of work while also returning to easel painting. He worked with several famous French fashion houses, designing playing cards and scarves for Hermès
[ The World of Playing Cards] and the well-known Yves Saint Laurent logo.
In his later years, Cassandre suffered from bouts of depression prior to his suicide in Paris in June 1968.
In 1985, his son Henri Mouron published a study of his father's work in a book titled A.M. Cassandre.
Typeface designs
These foundry types were produced by Deberny & Peignot from designs by Cassandre:
[Jaspert, W. Pincus, W. Turner Berry and A.F. Johnson. The Encyclopedia of Type Faces. Blandford Press Lts.: 1953, 1983, , p. 2408-249]
Notable poster designs
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Nord Express, 1925
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Etoile Du Nord, 1927
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La Route Bleue, 1929
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Chemin De Fer Du Nord, 1929
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L’ Atlantique, 1931
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Triplex, 1930
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Dubonnet, 1932
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Normandie, 1935
Other sources
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Robert K. Brown, Susan Reinhold: The poster art of A. M. Cassandre. - New York: Dutton, 1979
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Henri Mouron: A. M. Cassandre : affiches, arts graph., théâtre. - München: Schirmer/Mosel, 1985
published in English as Cassandre : Posters, Typography, Stage Designs - London: Thames and Hudson, 1986 ()
Further reading
External links
