Friday, September 25, 2015

Master Designer Charles Loupot

Charles Loupot


Charles Loupot


Charles Loupot


Charles Loupot


Charles Loupot


Charles Loupot (1892-1962) 

When Charles Loupot finished art school in Lyon in 1913, the first wave of French poster art was already history. Toulouse-Lautrec had died in 1901, Alfonse Mucha had left Paris, Eugene Grasset was almost forgotten, Jules Cheret was reported to be fed up with designing posters. There was yet no indication of a second, equally strong wave, and that Loupot would be one of it's leading figures, together with Cassandre, Carlu and Colin.

His beginnings, in Lausanne, Switzerland, were quite humble. In those times, clients often ordered their posters from a printer, who would in turn get suitable designs from artists. Apparently nobody was bothered when the same picture was used for two or even three different clients, and so we have, in 1917, an identical Loupot poster for a fashion shop in Lausanne and a department store in Lucerne.

However, Loupot's talent soon became obvious, and the number of commissions he received after 1918 for fashion and luxury goods makes it clear that his elegant and colorful designs were well sought after. By 1923 his reputation had reached Paris and he left Lausanne.

In 1924 the ''Canton'' furs store commissioned Loupot to create a new advertisement poster. (He created the first in 1919). The 1924 version features a beautiful woman, encased in a white fur against a black background.  In the 1930s, Canton ordered a second edition with a blue background and a third in 1949, also with a blue background, but with a new address at the bottom- 20 Rue de Bourg in Lausanne.







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