Jules Cheret (May 31, 1836 - September 23, 1932) was a French painter and lithographer who became a master of Belle &Epoque poster art. He has been called the father of the modern poster. In 1895, Chéret created the Matres de l'Affiche collection, a significant art publication of smaller sized reproductions featuring the best works of ninety-seven Parisian artists. His success inspired an industry that saw the emergence of a new generation of poster designers and painters such as Charles Gesmar and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. One of his students was Georges de Feure. Enormously successful, today the Matres de l'Affiche works are as rare as the original large format images and much in demand by collectors from around the world.