Jean Carlu
Jean Carlu (1900–1997) was a French graphic designer who specialised in posters. He was a member of a family of architects; his brother Jacques Carlu for example designed the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. He made posters during World War II to promote an increase in American production.
Also recorded as Jean Georges Léon Carlu · Jean Georges Leon Carlu
Jean Carlu
Alfred T. Palmer · Public domain
- Name
- Jean Carlu
- Born
- 1900
- Birthplace
- Bonnières-sur-Seine
- Died
- 22 April 1997
- Place of death
- Nogent-sur-Marne
- Nationality
- France
- Occupation
- artist · designer
- Languages
- French
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Documentary summary
Jean Carlu (1900–1997) was a French graphic designer who specialised in posters. He was a member of a family of architects; his brother Jacques Carlu for example designed the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. He made posters during World War II to promote an increase in American production.
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Note VALÉORINE
Jean Carlu (1900–1997) was a French artist and designer. Born in Bonnières-sur-Seine, the artist died in Nogent-sur-Marne.
Languages used include French. Works by Jean Carlu are held at Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Modern Art and Smithsonian American Art Museum, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q573180 · wikipedia · Jean Carlu
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jean Carlu • Born — 1900 • Birthplace — Bonnières-sur-Seine • Died — 22 April 1997 • Place of death — Nogent-sur-Marne
Biography
Biography
Jean Carlu started his career as a professional poster-designer in 1919, after a competition by a producer of dental aids (Glycodont) in 1918. From 1919 until 1921 he served as an illustrator, after which he worked at an agency that designed advertisements. In that period he designed his first poster in art deco style (for The Kid by Charlie Chaplin). He was attracted by cubism and by the works of Juan Gris and Albert Gleizes. He was one of the first who realised that to fix a trademark in the minds of consumers a process needs to be gone through in which schematic forms and expressive colours are applied. These are the characteristics that give his posters and other works their distinguishable quality. • Illustration — 1942 patriotic war poster by Jean Carlu for the U.S. Government The fame of Carlu rests mainly on two posters: for Monsavon and for the Théâtre Pigalle. He also designed a pioneering label for the 1924 vintage of Château Mouton-Rothschild. Carlu also designed posters for the Container Corporation of America, Pan American Airways, and Air France.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1900
Jean Carlu born at Bonnières-sur-Seine.
1997
Jean Carlu died at Nogent-sur-Marne.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Bonnières-sur-Seine.
Birth place
Nogent-sur-Marne.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q573180: Jean Carlu
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Jean Carlu”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Jean Georges Léon Carlu and Jean Georges Leon Carlu. His recorded language was French. Other recorded relations include Anne Carlu.
Identity and origins
Recognition and collections
Work by Jean Carlu is
Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Modern design
3,254 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Jean BennerDesigner
- Jean Benner-FriesDesigner
- Jean Bérain the YoungerDesigner
- Jean BugattiDesigner
- Jean HeibergDesigner
- Jean JouvenetDesigner
- Jean Maurice RothschildDesigner
- Jean MayeurDesigner
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