Jane Atché

Jeanne Louise Marie Euphrasie Atché, known as Jane, was a French painter, poster artist and graphic designer, born in Toulouse in 1872 and died in Paris in 1937. She is associated with Art Nouveau, although her work later moved towards Symbolism. She is remembered in histories of French poster art of the late nineteenth century, a field in which women were then rarely present.

Her family came from Rabastens. Around 1890 she moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian under Jean-Paul Laurens and Marcel Baschet, and she was also influenced by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant. She made her Salon debut in 1895 with a pastel, Girl with Violets. The following year she produced her first poster, for JOB cigarette papers, which was a great success. After meeting Alphonse Mucha at an exhibition of posters, she adopted some of his stylistic techniques, but around 1900 her admiration faded and she turned increasingly to religious subjects. Her Fiat Voluntas Tua received a special mention at the 1902 Salon. From 1901 to 1905 she illustrated La Poupée Modèle, a monthly magazine for girls.

She specialised in depicting women, bringing a delicate and sophisticated style to the graphic design of her time, with a message of female empowerment. For many years she was the only woman among French poster artists. In 2024 she was included in Viñetaria, an essay book on the history of women comic creators.