CASSANDRE by the Estate of A.M.CASSANDRE

1901-1922: Formation and First Experiences

• January 24, 1901: Birth of Adolphe-Marie Mouron in Kharkov (Ukraine) to a family of Bordeaux wine importers

• 1918: Completion of studies at Lycée Condorcet in Paris. Beginning of artistic training at the free studios of Montparnasse, at the Académie Julian and with Lucien Simon

• 1919: First steps in poster art with a Michelin competition (3rd prize). Quick abandonment of Cormon's studio at the Beaux-Arts

• 1920: Death of his father. The necessity of earning a living leads him toward advertising

• 1922:

  • First collaborations with publisher Hachard & Cie

  • Adoption of the pseudonym "Cassandre" (reference to the Trojan prophetess)

  • First posters: Pâtes Garres, Hagège lamp, Rex carburetor, Sadac butter

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1923-1928: The Affirmation of Genius (Age 25)

• 1923: The Year of Revelation

  • LE BÛCHERON: The poster that revolutionizes French advertising. First triumph with this radically new geometric and symbolic approach

  • Marriage to Madeleine Cauvet (12 years his senior, already mother of four children)

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• 1924-1925: Style Consolidation

• 1924:

  • PIVOLO: Masterful stylization of the bird, birth of visual wordplay

  • NOUVELLISTE, TURMAC

• 1925:

  • L'INTRANSIGEANT: Masterpiece of symbolic synthesis (stylized Marianne with telegraph wires)

  • ONOTO, LE KID, GRAND-SPORT, FLORENT

  • Birth of his son Henri

  • Construction of his villa in Versailles by Auguste Perret

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• 1926: Theorization of His Method

  • Publication of his manifesto in L'Affiche: first complete theorization of the modern poster

  • SOOLS: Sculptural innovation with three nested hats

  • GOLDEN CLUB: Introduction of scale and perspective games

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• 1927-1928: Railway Apotheosis

• 1927:

  • Decisive meeting with Maurice Moyrand (Compagnie des Chemins de fer du Nord)

  • ÉTOILE DU NORD and NORD-EXPRESS: Revolution of railway advertising through machine magnification

  • Break with Hachard, lost lawsuit but regained freedom

• 1928:

  • International collaboration with Nijgh & Van Ditmar (Holland)

  • First poster for GALERIES LAFAYETTE: introduction of photography and vibrant red color

  • Diversification: work for Vu (Lucien Vogel)

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1929-1935: Creative Maturity and Innovations

• 1929-1930: Typographic Revolution

• 1929:

  • Creation of BIFUR typeface with Charles Peignot: first modern typographic revolution in France

  • L'OISEAU BLEU, various railway posters

• 1930:

  • L'ACIER typeface: innovation to accompany photography

  • First collaboration with Nicolas (luxury tariff)

• 1931: Alliance Graphique

  • Foundation of Alliance Graphique with Loupot under Maurice Moyrand's aegis

  • CASINO: Complete visual identity creation with the stylized grocer

  • NORMANDIE (preparation): Iconic image of maritime power

• 1932-1935: Major Campaigns

• 1932:

  • DUBONNET: Invention of the "Dubo-Dubon-Dubonnet" triptych, revolution in sequential advertising and introduction of humor

• 1934:

  • NORMANDIE: Definitive poster, apotheosis of maritime representation

  • Tragic death of Maurice Moyrand in automobile accident: major psychological shock

• 1935:

  • NICOLAS: Revolutionary kinetic poster, precursor to Op Art

  • Meeting with Balthus: turning point toward painting

  • Publication of "Le Spectacle est dans la rue" (Draeger)

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1936-1938: American Experience and Doubts

• 1936-1937: First New York Stay

  • Personal exhibition at MoMA (first poster exhibition in this museum)

  • Collaboration with Harper's Bazaar (Alexey Brodovitch): 42 covers over 3 years

  • Container Corporation of America: high-level conceptual works

  • FORD poster attempt: American public misunderstanding

• 1937: Le Peignot, Commercial Failure

  • Creation of PEIGNOT typeface for the Paris International Exhibition

  • Bitter commercial failure despite artistic quality

  • Return to United States: isolation and disillusion

• 1938:

  • Definitive return to France

  • Marital crisis and abandonment of family home

  • Last major French poster: AMBRE SOLAIRE

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1939-1945: War, Retreat and Artistic Mutation

• 1939-1940: Rupture and Engagement

  • Divorce pronounced at his fault

  • Voluntary army enlistment (Fort de Domont, then geographic service)

• 1941-1942: Theater and Painting

• 1941:

  • LE CHEVALIER ET LA DAMOISELLE: First opera sets (Serge Lifar)

  • Decorative works (fashion exhibitions, couture salons)

• 1942:

  • Personal exhibition at Galerie Drouin: revelation of his paintings

  • Portrait of Coco Chanel: striking abrupt realism

  • Meeting with Nadine Robinson (future second wife)

• 1943-1945: Theatrical Consolidation

  • Sets for Jean-François Noël (Mon Royaume sur terre, Le Survivant)

  • Portraits (Marie-Laure de Noailles, Princess de Polignac)

  • Morvan and Bugey landscapes: his best paintings

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1946-1958: Renaissance and Apotheosis

• 1947-1950: Return to Grace

• 1947:

  • Marriage to Nadine Robinson

  • LES MIRAGES: Reference ballet with Henri Sauguet

• 1948:

  • Stay in Italy: research on copper engraving

  • MONSIEUR DE POURCEAUGNAC: Sets and costumes for the Comédie-Française

• 1949-1950: Aix Apotheosis

• 1949:

  • DON JUAN in Aix-en-Provence: Theater construction and absolute triumph

  • Scenographic revolution with actor "over-proportion"

• 1950:

  • COSI FAN TUTTE with sets by Balthus

  • Major retrospective at the Museum of Decorative Arts

  • Imaginary shores for the liner Provence

• 1951-1958: Creative Diversification

• 1951-1956:

  • Typographic works: 33 rpm record covers (Pathé, Columbia)

  • MELOS, COUP DE FEU, DE FIL EN ÉTOILE: Choreographic creations

  • OLIVETTI: Nova-Pica and Graphica 81 typefaces

• 1956-1958:

  • Creation of Atelier Cassandre with Sylvie Joubert

  • YVES SAINT LAURENT logo (designs "to age at the rhythm of stones")

  • PHÈDRE (1959): Bitter failure of his neo-classical vision of Racine

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1959-1968: Twilight and Final Struggle

• 1959-1963: Projects and Disillusions

  • Comptoir National d'Escompte de Paris logotype

  • Refusal of Villa Medici directorship (proposed by Malraux)

  • Officer of the Legion of Honor (1962)

• 1963-1967: Inner Exile

  • Sale of the Balthus, financial difficulties

  • Retreat to Bugey at François Michel's

  • Relentless work on his last typeface

• 1967-1968: The Ultimate Combat

• 1967:

  • Completion of CASSANDRE typeface (called METOP)

  • Double refusal from Dutch (Enschede) and German (Berthold) foundries

• 1968:

  • Posthumous use of Metop at Flaine (Éric Boissonnas' ski resort)

  • June 17, 1968: Suicide in Paris, avenue René-Coty

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Assessment of a Total Work

Alain Weill perfectly summarizes: "Cassandre in everything he touched in the field of graphic arts or even the stage [...] never ceased being an inventor. There are few inventors. There are virtuosos but having people who find both new paths and completely new ideas and who manage to apply them in a style that is also ahead of their time. This is a very rare thing."

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Cassandre's work crosses and revolutionizes all the visual domains of his era: poster, typography, visual identity, theater sets, painting. A misunderstood visionary toward the end, he remains the creator who gave letters of nobility to modern French graphic art.