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

​​From my earliest childhood, I was immersed in the world of his works. Whether they adorned the walls of our family home, appeared in my father’s studio, or became the subject of passionate conversations among family friends, Cassandre’s creations were always at the center of attention. From a young age, I was sensitized to the principles of image structure, the use of perspective to emphasize elements within a composition, the choice of typography, and the importance of coherence between a visual and its intended message.

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With this visual awareness, I naturally sought to understand the process behind “ images that convey messages ” unraveling the methods that made my grandfather one of the greatest creators of his time.

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Over the years, I have come to appreciate the uniqueness of this brilliant artist, who revolutionized the art of advertising. Cassandre captured the spirit of his era like no other, drawing inspiration from photography and cinema to synthesize the artistic movements of his time.

Echoing the avant-garde currents of the early 20th century, his creations were shaped by purism, cubism, surrealism, and futurism, embodying the essence of a rapidly evolving world.

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A Creative Genius with a Prophetic Name.

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Cassandre was the most significant graphic designer of the interwar period, a creative genius whose prophetic name left an indelible mark on his era. As a poster artist, typographer, decorator, and painter, he revolutionized advertising by establishing a dialogue between art and the public.

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Like the mythological figure with the gift of prophecy from whom he borrowed his name, Cassandre’s work foretold the rise of modern cities. A perfectionist to the extreme, he dedicated his life to uncompromising artistic rigor, torn between a desire for widespread recognition and an unspoken yearning to express himself through what he considered “ high- art. ” painting. Yet, his inability to fulfill his quest for perfection ultimately led to self-destruction and, tragically, his suicide.

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A Legacy to Preserve.

 

Although celebrated during his lifetime and enjoying international fame, Cassandre has sadly been gradually forgotten. Nevertheless, he remains a pioneer of his time and an enduring reference for all professionals in the field of visual arts.

Faced with this growing gap in collective memory, I felt it essential to honor his work. This website seeks to present, for the first time, the methodology behind his most exemplary creations while attempting to understand the man behind the artist.

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A Window Into Cassandre’s World.

 

This initiative, aimed at a broad audience, aspires to uncover the mysteries surrounding the work of an artist as brilliant as he was troubled. It also offers an opportunity to revisit the first half of the 20th century, a time of profound societal transformations that Cassandre interpreted better than anyone through his exploration of the relationship between images and the public.

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How did Cassandre’s visual mechanisms ensure his works would remain etched in the collective memory ? How did he so effectively capture the zeitgeist in his creations ? How did he revolutionize his era, and why does he remain an undisputed reference even today ?

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These are the questions this site seeks to answer.

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