CASSANDRE by Roland Mouron, Estate of A.M.CASSANDRE

​A creative genius with a prophetic nickname, Cassandre left an indelible mark on his era.

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As a poster artist, typographer, decorator, and painter, he revolutionized advertising by fostering a dialogue between art and the public—until his obsessive perfectionism led to his tragic downfall.

 

Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, known as A.M.Cassandre, was born in Kharkov (now renamed Kharkiv) in 1901. A French poster artist, theater designer, lithographer, painter, and typeface creator, A.M. Cassandre is without question one of the greatest graphic artists of the 20th century. A friend of Balthus and De Chirico, he developed a striking poster style that synthesized futurism, post-cubism, surrealism, and Art Nouveau.

 

The world knows his iconic poster, Dubo... Dubon... Dubonnet, which became a cultural emblem of its time. Based on a study of movement, this poster portrays a stylized character sitting at a table, gradually transformed by the aperitif. Another notable poster, Nicolas (advertising wine), plays with visual ambiguity: a bottle that also resembles a soldier wearing a kepi.

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A Typeface Innovator.

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In 1929, Cassandre created several typefaces for his friend Charles Peignot, founder of the Deberny & Peignot type foundry. These included Bifur, Acier, and Peignot. The latter became a major success and made a significant contribution to modern typography. Cassandre also designed the typeface Métope.

 

In addition to his graphic design work, A.M.Cassandre co-directed the advertising agency Alliance Graphique with Maurice Moyrand, producing some of the best French posters of the time. From 1934 to 1935, he also founded and directed a small art and graphic design school.

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Theater Design and Beyond.

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Cassandre devoted more years to theater set and costume design than to poster art. He began this career in 1933 with set designs for Louis Jouvet's production of Amphitryon 38 by Jean Giraudoux. The following year, he created the set for Aubade, a ballet by Serge Lifar with music by Francis Poulenc. Between 1941 and 1959, he designed the sets and costumes for 14 productions.

 

A devoted admirer of Mozart, Cassandre was chosen in 1949 to design the open-air theater for the Aix-en-Provence Festival. That same year, he designed the sets and costumes for Mozart's Don Giovanni, which were used for 25 years.​

Cassandre's work remains a testament to the fusion of art and innovation, making him a pioneer and enduring icon of modern graphic design and visual storytelling.

 

Savignac once said, describing A.M.Cassandre : " Because he hated to be told 'What you are asking for is impossible', he was determined to learn as much as he could from every little job he ever did. Yet, he never acted arrogantly when he could show that his demand was quite possible; he was simply happy just to be able to prove it since he knew it would make a great difference in his production. " 

 

Henri Mouron, his only son,  had totally devoted himself and his life to introduce all the creations by A.M.Cassandre to the public. He so endeavored for his father's work, with the same spirit of "perfection", which his father never ceased to value most of all.

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