Artists who have been able to gain a following in their lifetime have always been very interesting to those who follow history. Often, artists are able to help capture history in their work. Sometimes they are instrumental in creating history. Leonetto Cappiello was one of those artists.

Leonetto Cappiello was born in 1875 in Cannes, France. He lived in Paris and became recognized as an Italian poster art designer. He is considered the "Father of Modern Advertising" and it is his work that laid the foundation for poster art that would later follow his work and patterns for it.

Cappiello worked outside of the realms of traditional art creativity. He used very bold figures in his artistry and he painted in such a way that the figures on his posters seemed to jump out at those who saw them.

His first exhibit was in 1892. He made a name for himself during what was later dubbed as the 20th century poster boom.

Leonetto Cappiello signed his first printer contract in 1900. He would go on to devote his life and his creative works to designs captured on posters. During his career, Leonetto Cappiello designed more than 530 advertising posters.

Leonetto Cappiello died in 1842. As with most famous artists, even after his death, Leonetto Cappiello’s work was sought after. Today, many people look for his work to add to their collections.