The French advertising poster, a century of illustration

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The history of the French advertising poster, from Toulouse-Lautrec to PLM

The French advertising poster was born in the late 19th century. Toulouse-Lautrec, Mucha and Chéret set the codes: the female silhouette, ornate lettering, a carefully framed palette. In the 20th century, the PLM and SNCF railway companies turned the poster into a tool for promoting tourism across the country. 50 years of graphic innovation that now form the foundation of Brunelia’s posters.

The origins: commercial lithography (1860-1890)

The modern advertising poster was born in Paris around 1860 with the arrival of commercially viable color lithography. Jules Chéret is the absolute pioneer: he printed thousands of posters for theaters, cabarets and luxury goods. His “Chérette” (a light, airy female figure) became the icon of the Belle Époque.

The Belle Époque golden age (1890-1914)

Toulouse-Lautrec, Mucha, Steinlen, Cappiello: the Belle Époque turned the poster into a major art form. La Goulue (Toulouse-Lautrec, 1891), Job (Mucha, 1896) and Le Chat Noir (Steinlen, 1896) became global icons. The poster artist’s signature became as important as a painter’s.

Roger Broders and the PLM era (1922-1932)

After World War I, seaside and Alpine tourism became accessible to more people. The Compagnie des Chemins de fer Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée hired Roger Broders, who between 1922 and 1932 created around 100 of the most recognizable PLM posters. Cassis, Bandol, La Ciotat, Sainte-Maxime: he invented the grammar of the modern travel poster.

Cassandre and geometric Art Deco (1925-1940)

A.M. Cassandre revolutionized the poster in the 1920s and 30s. Étoile du Nord (1927), Normandie (1935), Wagons-Lits (1934): he introduced Cubist geometry, bold flat areas of color and typographic minimalism. His influence defined 20th-century commercial graphic design.

Loupot, Carlu, Colin: a diversity of schools (1930-1950)

Charles Loupot created the Saint-Raphaël and Nicolas posters. Jean Carlu invented the modern political poster. Paul Colin brought Josephine Baker and Parisian jazz to the stage. Each poster artist developed a style of their own, but all shared the terracotta, gold and deep blue palette that defines the French interwar poster.

The postwar era and the graphic turning point (1945-1970)

Bernard Villemot, Raymond Savignac, Hervé Morvan: after the war, the poster reinvented itself with simpler, more humorous graphics. Bonjour Paris (Villemot, 1956), Bally (Villemot, 1979), Aspirine (Savignac, 1956). A gradual shift from painted illustration to vector illustration.

The photographic turn and the end of commercial illustration (1970-2000)

From 1970 onward, photography gradually replaced painted illustration in advertising. The illustrated poster became marginal, reserved for galleries and collectors. That gap created today’s market for poster reproductions: Brunelia follows directly in the footsteps of the great pre-1970 poster artists.

The contemporary revival (2000-today)

Since 2000, the illustrated poster has made a strong comeback, driven by home decor and a passion for all things retro. Contemporary studios, independent illustrators and brands like Brunelia are reviving the visual grammar of the 1920s-1950s with modern printing techniques.

The French advertising poster is one of the few graphic arts to have lasted a century without losing its readability. A 1927 Cassandre poster still works visually today because it rests on timeless principles: flat areas of color, supple geometry, hand-drawn lettering.

To learn more about Roger Broders, see our full article on the PLM illustrator. See also our guide to the 20 posters that made history.