Emil Cardinauxartist • painterBern (Zwitserland) 1877-1936

Emil Cardinaux reached his fame as a designer of advertising posters for the Swiss tourism industry. He was admitted to the Art Academy in Bern and became a student of Franz von Stück in Munich. Shortly after he resided to Paris in 1903. Most of the time Cardinaux painted mountainscapes and his style was influenced by his compatriot Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918). Around 1900 Switzerland developed a lively national program to promote the holiday advertising poster. Cardinaux designed the first modern poster, the Matterhorn, in 1908. He was the founder of the style which consisted of richness in color, simple lining and traditional lithography.