Adolphe Léon Willette (30 July 1857, Châlons-sur-Marne4 February 1926, Paris) was a French

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

, caricaturist, and lithographer, as well as an architect of the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret. Willette ran as an "

anti-semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

" candidate in the 9th arrondissement of Paris for the September 1889 legislative elections.

Biography

Willette studied for four years at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel. His graphical work ranged from dainty triviality or political satire: he made Pierrot an imaginary hero of France, and established Mimi Pinson as frail, lovable, and essentially good-hearted. He could also be bitter and fierce, a partisan of political ideas. The guillotine and the figure of Death appear in his caricatures. At the time of the Dreyfus affair he was an ''anti-dreyfusard''; with

Jean-Louis Forain Jean-Louis Forain (23 October 1852 – 11 July 1931) was a French Impressionist painter and printmaker, working in media including oils, watercolour, pastel, etching and lithograph. Compared to many of his Impressionist colleagues, he was mo ...

, he moved to the political right.

Works

The artist was a prolific contributor to the French illustrated press under the pseudonyms "Cémoi", "Pierrot", "Louison", "Bébé", and "Nox", but more often under his own name. He illustrated

Melandri Melandri is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Marco Melandri (born 1982), Italian MotoGP road racer *Francesca Melandri (born 1964), Italian novelist and filmmaker *Giovanna Melandri Giovanna Melandri (born 28 Janua ...

's ''Les Pierrots'' and ''Les Giboulles d'avril'', '' Le Courrier français'', and published his own ''Pauvre Pierrot'' and other works, in which he tells his stories in scenes in the manner of Busch. He decorated several "brasseries artistiques" with wall-paintings, stained glass, and so on notably Le Chat noir and La Palette d'or, and he painted the ceiling for

La Cigale La Cigale (; English: ''The Cicada'') is a theatre located at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex connected to the Le Trabendo concert venue and the Boule Noir ...

music hall. Willette contributed to the

Salon des Cent ''Salon des Cent'' ("Salon of the One Hundred") was a commercial art exhibition in Paris, based at 31 Rue Bonaparte. The ''Salon'' sold color posters, prints and reproductions of artwork to the general public at reasonable prices. It was establi ...

and six of his posters were published in ''

Les Maîtres de l'Affiche ''Maîtres de l'Affiche'' (Masters of the Poster) refers to 256 color lithographic plates used to create an art publication during the Belle Époque in Paris, France. The collection, reproduced from the original works of ninety-seven artists in a ...

''. A collection of his works was exhibited in 1888. His ''V'almy'' is in the Luxembourg, Paris. Willette's characteristically fantastic ''Parce Domine'' was commissioned by Rodolphe Salis for Le Chat Noir in Montmartre. It was shown in the Franco-British Exhibition (1908), Franco-British Exhibition in 1908.

Selected works

File:Alone at last2.jpg, ''Journée du Poilu.
25 et 26 décembre 1915'' File:1889 French election poster for antisemitic candidate Adolphe Willette.jpg, Anti-Semitic Election poster
for Willette File:Les_Maîtres_de_l'Affiche_-_43_-_Cacao_Van_Houten_(bgw20_0371).jpg, Cacao Van Houten File:Willette_A._-_lithography,_watercolor_-_Diplôme_d'abonné_fidèle_au_courrier_français_-_39,5x52,5cm.jpg, "Diploma" for a loyal subscriber to ''Le Courrier Français'' File:Unkraut,_aber_guter_Dünger.jpg, Cover of ''Le Rire Rouge''. #43 File:Willette_affiche.jpg, Poster for ''Le Courrier Français File:Cheret,_Jules_-_Exposition_de_Tableux_et_Dessins_de_A._Willete_(pl_97).jpg, Exposition of works by Willete

References

External links

Selections from ''l'Assiette au Beurre''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willette, Adolphe 1857 births 1926 deaths People from Châlons-en-Champagne 19th-century French painters French male painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French caricaturists French illustrators Art Nouveau painters Art Nouveau illustrators Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery 20th-century French printmakers Moulin Rouge 19th-century French male artists