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Jules Chéret (born May 31, 1836, Paris, France—died September 23, 1932, Nice) was a French poster illustrator and graphic designer who has been called “the father of the modern poster.”

After apprenticing as a lithographer from 1849 and studying drawing, Chéret received his first major poster commission in 1858 for Jacques Offenbach’s operetta Orpheus in the Underworld (1858), and from 1859 to 1866 he designed posters and book jackets in London. During this period he also created packages for perfume manufacturer Eugène Rimmel, whose funding enabled Chéret to establish a lithography firm in Paris in 1866.

Owning his own firm allowed Chéret to maintain artistic control and to establish an innovative design approach. Most lithographers of the time commissioned an artist to create a poster design, which was then copied onto a stone by a skilled craftsman. Chéret, however, worked directly on the stone, using spirited brush lines, crosshatch, stipple, soft watercolor-like washes, and areas of flat color to create a dynamic image. Throughout the 1870s and ’80s, his style evolved from one typical of Victorian graphics, that is, dominated by complex decoration, to a simpler, more dynamic approach in which compositions were dominated by large central figures, prominent hand-lettered titles, simplified backgrounds, and large areas of glowing color and gestural textures. His artistic influences included the idyllic romances of the Rococo painters Antoine Watteau and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, the churning compositions of Baroque painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, and the flat color and stylized linear contours of Japanese woodblock prints.

In the year 1890, Chéret was bestowed with the esteemed Legion of Honour by the French government. They praised his contribution to the world of printing, as well as his aid in fulfilling the demands of commerce and industry. As his career came to a close, Chéret’s portfolio boasted over one thousand posters, advertising various music halls, theaters, performers and consumer products such as beverages, medicines and lamp oil. His legacy served as a source of inspiration for a prominent cohort of graphic designers and artists, including the likes of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. They built upon his pioneering work, continuing to push the boundaries of artistic expression and graphic design.

www.ftn-books.com has one Cheret title available.

Charles Matton was a visionary artist with the spirit of a fascinated miniature-maker. As a self-professed “creator of images,” Matton utilized sketches, paintings, sculptures, and films in an enduring journey to reveal and magnify the essence of his beloved subjects for all to behold. His works were inspired by the early European tradition of handmade cabinet houses and the optical illusions found within 17th-century Dutch perspective boxes. His interiors, both real and imagined, defy modern categorization, imbuing a sense of magic and wonder. Detailed yet enchanting models evoke a child-like fascination with all things tiny, meticulously crafted, and make-believe.

Born in 1933, Mr. Matton first displayed his work in his hometown of Paris in the early 1960s before pursuing a career in magazine illustration and book publishing. While working for Esquire Magazine and other French publications in New York (at times), he continued to create art for himself and a select group of collectors. In 1983, he resurfaced as an artist and in 2002, Forum Gallery New York presented his first American exhibit. He regularly exhibited his work until his passing in 2008.

Mr. Matton’s expertise in lighting and spatial depth is a prominent hallmark of his art. Mirrors are strategically placed to create a seemingly endless depth of space. Meticulously crafted sets, composed of cast and carved resin, continue into an intangible distance. The mirrors’ reflections, augmented by the speculum effect, produce an illusion of expansive landscapes. The end result is a world reflected in a looking-glass, as ornate and fanciful as Carroll’s White Knight mounted on his upside-down box.

Many of Mr. Matton’s creations are faithful reproductions of revered locations, such as Sigmund Freud’s study and Marcel Proust’s library, imbuing them with an air of reverence and pilgrimage.

www.ftn-books.com has one Matton title available.

Here is Louise Sudell on her own work

My artistic discourse revolves around architectural vestiges; using them as a starting point to revisit and position the individual in relation to their surroundings.

The “Arcoducto” is a stone bridge built in the bed of the Galligants River in the Sant Daniel Valley of Girona. The ancient carved stones form a bridge at ground level, resembling the ruins of an old building or a fallen civilization.

Located behind the Girona Cathedral and near several monasteries, the “Arcoducto” marks the boundary between the city and the countryside. It is a convergence of water and people.

I chose a site where human passage leaves a mark, with a clear diversion that cuts off the path when the river is dry or low. Here, citizens use a narrow street and descend a path to cross the river diagonally, towards a staircase that leads up to the mountain. In this part of the river, the flow can increase in the summer with torrential storms or in the autumn with sudden floods. The water is absent in the river for several months of the year and abundant in others. The current can cover the stone bridge, submerging it under the water flow.

The “Arcoducto” (stepping stone bridge) is a bridge that connects the banks (not in a straight line like many bridges), with a hemispherical deviation from the path. A distortion of the straight path. A person stepping on each of the carved stones must pay attention to their body balance to cross the river. Then, once they reach solid ground, they can enjoy the surroundings or the landscape with a new perspective.

www.ftn-books.com has Sudell title now available.

Tadeusz Kantor (1915-1990) was a Polish dramatist and visual artist, considered among the avant-garde of the previous century. Teacher and playwright André Lefèvre analyzed the creative process of his cycle, “The Theater of Love and Death,” and in particular his production “Wielopole, Wielopole,” as a so-called “dramaturgy of memory.” On April 18, 2012, he will defend his dissertation, “The Passion of Tadeusz Kantor.”

Tadeusz Kantor refused to conform to the social realism prevailing in communist Poland. He incorporated memories from his childhood and experiences of the violence of two world wars into his theater, drawings, paintings, and writings in the form of memory art. Lefèvre focuses on unraveling the cycle, which includes his main theatrical works: “The Dead Class” (1975), “Wielopole, Wielopole” (1980), “Artists Can Suffocate!” (1985), “I Will Never Return Here” (1988), and “Today is My Birthday” (1991).

In this cycle, Kantor sought to evoke memories and bring death among the living through various techniques. He created memory theater that challenged the audience to make moral choices. At the same time, he caused alienation in the audience by being present on and beside the stage. Kantor employed a variety of techniques from the visual arts, such as the tableau, photography, happening, packaging and assemblage, and repetition and duplication.

www.ftn-books.com has one Kantor title available.

Born into a family of art merchants, Nat Leeb’s interest in painting was sparked at a young age. He attended the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts from 1920 to 1923. In 1926, he received an award for one of his posters and in 1928, he exhibited his paintings at the Librairie des arts in Strasbourg. While his early known works were strictly figurative, he later turned to expressionism and showed sensitivity to avant-garde movements. In 1951, he exhibited at the Galerie Charpentier. By the 1940s and 1950s, his paintings had become abstract, textured, and intensely colorful. In 1965, he met art merchant Lawrence Jeppson (1926-2019) who organized several exhibitions of his works in the United States. Two important exhibitions were dedicated to him in the 1980s, one at the Quadrat Museum of Bottrop and the other at the Städtische Kunstsammlung in Eschweiler.

www.ftn-books.com has the ao The Bottrop title available.

Edward Burra, a prominent figure in British art during the 20th century, is renowned for his bold and satirical depictions of urban life and queer culture in the ‘Roaring Twenties.’ A virtuoso of watercolour, the exhibition will demonstrate how Burra defied conventional limits of this delicate medium to produce striking and dynamic scenes. His artistic repertoire encompasses a diverse range of imaginative works, shaped by influences ranging from music and performance to popular culture, literature, and art history.

Marking his first retrospective in London in four decades, the exhibition delves into Burra’s fascination with exploring foreign societies and cultures. A keen observer and chronicler of social realities, his works also feature haunting landscapes, mirroring his experiences of major world events such as the Spanish Civil War, Second World War, and post-war industrial revolution. Burra’s own experience of disability may have informed his portrayal of marginalized communities.

Discover the intricate journey of Burra’s career through a collection of over 80 paintings and drawings, along with material from the Edward Burra archive at Tate, providing unique insights into the artist’s exceptional creative process.

www.ftn-books.com has several titles on Burra available.

The evolution from abstract to concrete, no longer based on external perceptions but rather on shapes and colors generated through pure mental speculation and technical experimentation, took place around 1947-1948, when Moretti transformed from an imitator to a creator of art. “After the turmoil of war, there was a deep desire to move towards something that would free us from that state, to connect with the essence of things, the relationship with the cosmos, what was known as geometry, harmonious relationships. At that moment, I truly felt the urge to overcome this tragedy and start anew from what could form the foundation of a new artistic expression.”

Moretti does not reject nature, but rather examines it beneath the surface to capture its essence, “the unchangeable” that exists outside of time. “While nature is regulated by strict geometric rules, it also displays fluctuations in the creative process. Natural shapes deviate from their theoretical model. These deviations are the mark of life and the reason for the beauty of the form in which it reveals itself.”

In line with the zeitgeist of his time, Moretti aligns himself with the abstract art practices in Florence and the proponents of the Concrete Art Movement in Milan. He takes part in various exhibitions with them between 1951 and 1957, showcasing his works such as Perspective, Dynamic Composition, Poiesis, and Idol.

www.ftn-books.com has 1 Moretti title available

Born in 1930 ( Valencia), Genovés is the foremost representative of modern Spanish painting. His works, executed in critical realism, can be seen as his response to the fascist violence of the Franco regime. He tragically experienced the Spanish Civil War firsthand, where friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and even family members became enemies and fought each other in the most horrific ways. The gruesome battle between Republicans and Nationalists turned Spain into an inferno.

Genovés studied at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Carlos in Valencia and later moved to Madrid in 1958. His first solo exhibitions took place at the Alfil Gallery in Madrid and at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Havana, Cuba in 1957.

In 1976, he was arrested and spent 7 days in solitary confinement for creating a poster calling for amnesty for political prisoners in Franco’s Spain.

In the 1980s, his artwork gained more and more national and international recognition, while he continued to actively advocate for peace. Thanks in part to his efforts, democracy was restored in Spain. His work is a symbol of Catalan pride.

Genovés’ artwork focuses on two themes: the individual and the mass. Many of his works examine the concept of the masses from a bird’s eye perspective, omitting buildings, trees, or other objects, creating a sense of abandonment and loss.

His artwork can be found in numerous public collections in the United States and Europe, including Le Centre National d’Art Contemporain in Paris, France, The Museum of Modern Art and The Guggenheim Museum in New York, USA, The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL, USA, Galeria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome, Italy, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, IVAM in Valencia, Spain, and Musees Royaux de.

www.ftn-books.com has one Genoves title available.

Gustavo de Maeztu was a unique and enigmatic artist, known for his dispersion and individuality. He was both lyrical and romantic, yet controversial, characterized by his passionate and sensitive creations. It was difficult to categorize his work into a single movement, as he actively avoided conforming to classifications and constantly strayed from his own identity. His life was a constant push forward, but also a series of backward moves, leading him to the brink of impressions and precise moments. This made him a captivating and unparalleled figure, impossible to classify due to his quest to find personal explanations that were disconnected from reality.

During the height of his creative period, from 1910 to 1925, De Maeztu crafted a large body of work that revolved around merging personal aspirations, interior aesthetic formulation, and his identification with Spain’s intellectual reflection. This resulted in an ambivalent artistic output that was both intimate and social, lyrical and epic, restrained and overwhelming, and at times, both melancholy and hopeful. This magical duality was simultaneously his downfall and his eternal legacy.

Two recurring themes characterized his work during this period: man and woman. His depictions of men were often melancholy, deep in thought and occupied with matters that were beyond human understanding. This hermeticism and subsequent sense of alienation only added to their mystery. On the other hand, his female figures were powerful, voluptuous, and sensual, with an air of elegant sophistication that seamlessly integrated elements of folk boisterousness with aristocratic grace. His female figures were often adorned with a magnificent display of vibrant colors, reminiscent of the shimmering tones of ceramic.

With a strong literary essence in his paintings, Gustavo de Maeztu skillfully used the diptych and triptych techniques in his compositions to tell a story. This can be seen in his paintings, such as The Samaritan Women (Museo Gustavo de Maeztu, Estella-Lizarra) and The Women of the Sea. Through these techniques, he was able to bring life to his paintings and further enhance the enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism of his work, making him a true master of his craft.

The artist creates from the dualistic language of imagery, using it as a dreaming vessel that contains deeper symbolism. “The Samaritan Women” portrays women from a despondent region of Castilla, heavily burdened but determined, showing no signs of weariness as they confront their destiny. In contrast, “The Women of the Sea” reveals a stark and ominous landscape, with women who do not wear a smile and have no prospects for the future. Their only desire is for the safe return of their loved ones, and the endless wait is reflected in their somber countenances. These women are monumental in their depiction, exerting a greater force than the very architecture of the houses that make up the serene backdrop, particularly against the languid waters that mirror their forms. The bridge and the faces are etched with anguish, with eyes that search, inquire, and scan the distance in an attempt to understand, yet only being met with endless waiting. The artist’s treatment of the figures resembles that of a sculptor, emphasizing the notion that they are massive paintings come to life. His close friend and art critic, Juan de la Encina, who was captivated by this piece, marveled at the “iridescent skirt, with a dominant shade of violet, on the reclining woman or the one resting on her lap (though we suspect it is more of a lap), adorned in a crimson gown that seems to ignite the entire painting.”

www.ftn-books.com has one title on Maeztu now available

Since 1965, Paul Steenhauer has created a body of work that illustrates a coherent idea of his conception of the art of painting. His aim is to depict the world as a perfect yet elusive cosmos on a very limited scale.

It is a composition that evokes associations with classical landscape images because there is always a division in the construction of the painting: a horizon suggesting a land and a sky.

The landscape is merely a preconceived notion of what we consider to be such. There is no life below or above the horizon. There are well-defined spaces of color, sometimes displaying geometric shapes. The position of the horizon, whether it be high, low, central, or curved, defines the effect of these zones and invokes unfathomable spaces, regardless of the size of the painting.

As we gaze at the paintings, we are drawn into a cosmic world beyond the conception of a landscape. The geometric shapes themselves create a rhythm within the spaces and discreetly blend “nature” and human interference, realizing a symbiosis of the two.

The overall image is further enhanced by the modulations of light, range of color, changes in form, and layered painting technique. This lends the work an atmosphere of supernatural mystery and poetry.

The meticulous execution, unique use of color, and surprising combination of landscape painting and constructivist elements imbue the work with its specific and distinctive character.

The work may not be easily accessible, but those who are truly absorbed cannot let it go.

www.ftn-books.com has one Steenhauer publication available