Jean d'Ylen

Jean d'Ylen prints bring the colour, wit and fantasy of French Art Deco advertising into your home. D'Ylen was a Paris poster artist whose bold designs sold everything from Shell oil and Sandeman's port to Brazilian coffee and Cap Corse aperitif, often with a dreamlike, almost surreal touch. Our collection of fine art prints gathers his advertising posters for drinks, food, motoring, travel and fashion.

About Jean d'Ylen

Jean d'Ylen was the professional name of Jean Paul Béguin, born in Paris on 7 August 1886. He studied drawing at the Bernard Palissy school of applied arts under Louis Hista, and began his career in jewellery design, winning an honourable mention at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1905 for a jewellery panel.

He also studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in the studio of Fernand Cormon, and from 1912 worked under the name "Jean d'Ylen". His poster career began before the First World War, during which he served in a mapping unit. He worked for the Vercasson printing house, which specialised in large lithographic posters, and was close to the graphic artist Armand Rapeño.

Through the 1920s d'Ylen produced a stream of posters for brands such as Erasmic soap (1912), Champagne Joseph Perrier (1921), Spa Monopole (1923), Shell (1927) and Cap Corse (1927). He worked as a decorator for the international exhibitions of 1931 and 1937, and died in Paris on 21 November 1938.

Style and Subjects

D'Ylen's early posters are close in spirit to Leonetto Cappiello: a single bold figure or object, bright colour against a dark or plain background, and lettering that is part of the design. From the early 1920s his imagery became fantastical and dreamlike, very close to Surrealism, especially in his Shell posters.

Around 1930 his style turned crisply modern, with simplified shapes and clean geometry, as in his poster for Gangloff beer.

Famous Works

• Erasmic (1912). One of his first posters, for a beauty soap.
• Cinéma Madeleine, Paris (1920). A poster for a Paris cinema.
• La Potente e perfetta pariglia Shell (1927). An Italian poster for Shell oil and petrol, from his fantastical Shell series.
• Cap Corse Quinquina (1927). A bold poster for the Corsican aperitif.
• Teinture idéale (1928). A poster for a hair dye.
• For Quality, Drink Brazilian Coffee. A poster for Brazilian coffee, "Brazil supplies the world".
• Sandeman's Port. An advertisement for the famous port house.

Decorating with d'Ylen Prints

D'Ylen's posters are made for kitchens, dining rooms and home bars: Sandeman's Port, Cap Corse or Carnival, Mackintosh's Toffee de Luxe add colour and fun above a bar cart or sideboard. His coffee posters suit a breakfast nook or café-style kitchen.

The Shell and motoring posters suit a garage, den or home office, and a group of his posters makes a lively Art Deco gallery wall in a hallway. Black, chrome or brass frames suit their period style.

FAQ

Who was Jean d'Ylen?

Jean d'Ylen was the pseudonym of Jean Paul Béguin, a French painter, poster artist and illustrator who lived from 1886 to 1938.

What is Jean d'Ylen known for?

He is known for his advertising posters of the 1910s to 1930s, especially his fantastical, almost surreal designs for Shell.

Who influenced Jean d'Ylen?

His early posters are often compared with those of Leonetto Cappiello, the leading French poster designer of the time.

Is Jean d'Ylen's work on television?

Yes. His poster for Gangloff beer appears in the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Where can I see Jean d'Ylen's work?

The Bibliothèque Forney in Paris, a library of decorative and graphic arts, held an exhibition of his work in 1980.

Related Artists

• Leonetto Cappiello: the leading French poster artist whose style his early work recalls
• Jules Chéret: founder of the French colour poster
• Alphonse Mucha: great poster artist of the generation before