"Paul Émile Berthon (1872–1909) was a French artist who produced primarily posters and lithographs. Berthon's work is in the style of Art Nouveau, much like his contemporary Alphonse Mucha. Berthon studied as a painter in Villefranche before moving to Paris... His study of the decorative arts influenced his print making, influencing the strong lines and natural details that guided his art. The vast majority of Berthon's lithographed posters did not include advertisements and were meant to stand on their own." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_%C3%89mile_Berthon "Unfortunately very little is known about this artists short 37 yr life. A large collection of his work seems to have been destroyed during the world wars. By the start of the First World War the Art Nouveau movement had lost its momentum. The posters of Berthon, Grasset and Mucha were no longer prized possessions, and many of the posters were lost. During the economic depression that followed World War II many of the lithographic posters were used as wallpaper or wrapping paper. Paul Berthon first studied as a painter in Villefranche before coming to Paris in 1893. There he enrolled at the Ecole Normale d'Enseignement de Dessin, receiving lessons from Luc-Oliver Merson. Yet the greatest influence upon Berthon came from his teacher of Decorative Arts, Eugene Grasset (1841-1917). Grasset's impact upon the early formation of the Art Nouveau movement had been vast and both Berthon and Mucha acknowledged him as the single greatest influence upon their art. The graphic oeuvre of Paul Berthon consists of 94 original lithographs. Almost two-thirds of Berthon's original lithographs are what the artist termed, "Panneaux Decoratifs". Unlike most Art Nouveau posters, Berthon's panneaux decoratifs included no advertising and no letterpress. They were meant to stand alone as significant works of art in their own right." http://www.enchantedgal.com/berthon.html undefined

More on Google