Lithograph designed by French painter Henri Matisse advertising a 1949 exhibition of his recent work at the Musee National d'Art Moderne (National Museum of Modern Art).

In 1959, lithographer Fernand Mourlot organized an exhibition of all the lithographs artists had created at his shop, Mourlot Studios. His shop, later renamed Mourlot Editions, had become one of the largest print studios in Europe by the mid 20th Century, transformed from the simple wallpaper shop it started out as to a respected studio hired by French and foreign museums to produce posters for their own exhibitions. As his studio grew, so did Mourlot's ambitions, and he soon began inviting some of the best artists of the time to produce lithographs at his shop. Many of the era's most famous modern artists began discovering the art of lithography under Mourlot's direction. Now armed with printing skills, these artists went on to produce posters for their exhibitions, taking charge of their own advertisement campaigns. By reintroducing lithography to the world as a fine artform, one that offered all kinds of experimental possibilities, Mourlot truly earned his title as the father of modern lithography.

Artist: Henri Matisse

Medium: Lithograph

AIP-Portfolio#41