Eugène Grasset (Swiss, 1845-1917)

Les Mois

Showing October 2-31, 2009

Swiss-born graphic artist Eugène Samuel Grasset (1845-1917) was one of the leading figures in the Art Nouveau movement in Paris.   Best known for his iconic posters and his contributions to graphic design—an italic typeface he created in 1898 is still used by designers around the world—Grasset also designed furniture, ceramics, tapestries, and postage stamps. In 1894, Grasset was commissioned by the French department store  La Belle Jardinière to create twelve original artworks to be used as a calendar. Grasset's delectable color wood engravings, depicting beautiful young women in seasonal costumes and gardens that change with the seasons, were issued with empty spaces for calendar dates in a fine art portfolio called Les Mois (The Months) by the Paris publisher G. de Malherbe in 1896.