Jean Colin, France

AGI member since 1951

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Jean Colin was one of the founding fathers of AGI and became its first general secretary. He made name as a poster designer. His work had a lot in common with that of André François, Raymond Savignac and Francis Bernard, all of his own generation. Their posters had a special lyrical quality and often a kind of naive and disarming humour, which appealed to a wide audience. Jean made more than 300 posters. For many of them he received medals and awards, among them one from the Académie de l’Affiche, for the best poster of the year in 1943. He also won a gold medal for the Most Beautiful Poster of 1959. He worked in his own arts and advertising studio for important clients like Shell, Omo, Pernod and Cinzano. Colin taught at the École Supérieur des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Anne-Claude Lelieur wrote the catalogue Jean Colin: Affichiste (2000).

Design work by Jean Colin


    Jean Colin, France (1951)

    Jean Colin was one of the founding fathers of AGI and became its first general secretary. He made his name as a poster designer. His work had a lot in...

    Read full biography
    Jean Colin, France (1951)

    Jean Colin was one of the founding fathers of AGI and became its first general secretary. He made name as a poster designer. His work had a lot in common with that of André François, Raymond Savignac and Francis Bernard, all of his own generation. Their posters had a special lyrical quality and often a kind of naive and disarming humour, which appealed to a wide audience. Jean made more than 300 posters. For many of them he received medals and awards, among them one from the Académie de l’Affiche, for the best poster of the year in 1943. He also won a gold medal for the Most Beautiful Poster of 1959. He worked in his own arts and advertising studio for important clients like Shell, Omo, Pernod and Cinzano. Colin taught at the École Supérieur des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Anne-Claude Lelieur wrote the catalogue Jean Colin: Affichiste (2000).