Jean D’Ylen

Jean D’Ylen (1886 – 1938), born Jean Paul Beguin, was a French painter, illustrator and poster artist, one of the few designers to use imagery very close to surrealism from 1924 onwards. He studied art at the Bernard Palissy School, a municipal school of Fine Arts. After several years as a jewelry designer, D’Ylen became a full-time posterist in 1919 and signed an exclusive contract with Pierre Vercasson’s printing shop in 1919. D’Ylen succeeded Cappiello as the favoured house artist in 1922. The influence of Leonetto Cappiello on this artist’s work is apparent in the dark background and the flowing, floating stance of the charismatic figure. D’Ylen was a master of combining humorous messages with well executed artwork and masterful colours to create some of the most sought after posters printed in the 1920’s. D’Ylen, at the top of his career, continued to work at Vercasson until 1934 where he designed over 200 posters.