French engraver, illustrator, painter, banknote and stamp designer
Henri-Lucien Cheffer
Born
(1880-12-30)December 30, 1880
Paris
Died
May 3, 1957(1957-05-03) (aged 76)
Nationality
French
Known for
Painting, engraving, stamp and banknote designs
Henri-Lucien Cheffer (30 December 1880, Paris – 3 May 1957) was a French painter, engraver and illustrator.[1] Cheffer was chiefly known for his postage stamp designs,[2] the first of which he designed in 1911.[3] He also designed bank notes for French Algeria, Tunisia, the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies.[4]
Early life
Cheffer was born in 1880 in Paris. He studied at the School of Decorative Arts, Paris, and in the studio of Léon Bonnat.[5]
Awards
He received the second prize for engraving in the Grand Prix de Rome in 1904 and 1906.[5] At the annual exhibition Salon des Artistes Français, he received an honourable mention in 1902, a medal in 1919 and a medal of honour in 1927.[6]
Work
Paintings
Cheffer was a member of the Société des Artistes Français, where he exhibited exclusively.[7] During the First World War, Cheffer produced many watercolors depicting scenes of battle and destruction.[8]
Postage stamp designs
Cheffer was responsible for 384 stamp designs, 52 of which were for France.[4] His first stamp design, in 1911, was for Iran.[4]
In 1940, Cheffer was invited by the French government to design a joint Anglo-French stamp.[9]