Eugene Grasset

Eugene Grasset (1845-1917) was a Swiss decorative artist and graphic designer who played a significant role in the Art Nouveau movement. He initially trained as a painter in Zurich before moving to Paris in 1871 to study decorative arts. Grasset's designs were heavily influenced by Japanese art, which he first encountered during the 1878 Paris Exposition, and he began incorporating Japanese motifs and techniques into his work.In 1877, Grasset began teaching decorative arts at the École Guérin in Paris, where he developed a reputation as an innovative and influential teacher. His students included some of the most prominent Art Nouveau designers of the period, such as Maurice Pillard Verneuil and Auguste Roubille. Grasset's own designs included posters, book illustrations, and furniture, and he was particularly renowned for his decorative patterns and typography.Grasset's work helped to popularize Art Nouveau and establish it as a major decorative arts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.