Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen was born in Lausanne in 1859. Following his studies at the Lausanne Academy he did an internship at a textile printer in Mulhouse. In 1878 Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen went to Paris and initially worked as a tracer. After his move to the bohemian quarter of Montmartre in 1883 he met and made friends with artists like Toulouse-Lautrec, Aristide Bruant, Vallaton and Alphone Allais. His new friends helped him in getting assignments as a draftsman and illustrator by the magazines "Le Chat Noir" and "Le Mirliton". Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen's first exhibition took place at La Bodinière in 1884, then, in 1885, he created the first of his famous posters: a poster for the Hotel de Paris in Trouville sur Mer. He also made posters for La Compagnie francaise, the Cabarét Le Chat Noir and many others. In 1911 Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, Forain and Léandre founded the magazine Les Humoristes and worked as a book illustrator too. He started to exhibit his works in the Salon des Indépendants in 1893, later on a regular basis in the Salon des Humoristes. Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, who was seen as a fierce opponent of war, also painted numerous posters condemning World War I. He died in Paris in 1923.