Leonetto Cappiello

Leonetto Cappiello (9 April 1875 – 2 February 1942) was an Italian and French poster art designer and painter, who mainly lived and worked in Paris.

[1] In 1902, a 24-page book of his caricatures was published entitled Gens du Monde 'people of high society' for the magazine L'Assiette au Beurre.

Vercasson had a print house, and his goal was to bring vibrancy and colour to the streets of Paris, he wanted the posters that he produced to stand out from the rest and attract lucrative new advertisers to his agency.

Of course living in Paris, he was aware of the current art scene, and had seen many examples of Cappiello’s work, including a small number of posters already produced and in particular those for Le Frou-Frou.

It was then up to Cappiello to produce a sketch for the client for which he would receive the fee of 500 francs, a good amount at the time.

Cappiello would also be responsible for ensuring the successful transfer of the design onto lithographic stone ready for printing.

His first meeting with Devambez in 1918 marked the start of a long discussion: three years later he signed an exclusive contract with the Paris publisher for whom he designed now famous icons: such as Kub, Campari, Parapluie Revel, Pirelli, Chocolat Klaus and Poudre de Luzy, and the famous entertainer Mistinguett at the Casino de Paris.

The agency concentrated on finding new clients from across Europe, and successfully spread Cappiello’s celebrated works across the continent.