Swiss painter and poster artist Herbert Leupin died at age 83 in his home town of Basel earlier this week, according to Thursday’s death notices in the Swiss press.

Swiss painter and poster artist Herbert Leupin died at age 83 in his home town of Basel earlier this week, according to Thursday’s death notices in the Swiss press.

In Switzerland, Leupin was probably best known for the roughly 500 hundred posters he created over the years.

One of the better known posters is that which advertises Switzerland’s national circus KNIE: the poster shows a clown balancing the letters K N I E on his knee.

The international audience may not know it but it was also Leupin who created the famous lilac cow advertising Jacobs Suchard chocolate. He also designed many record covers.

Leupin was born in Beinwil, canton Aargau, and spent most of his time in Basel. He trained both in Basel and Paris and opened his own studio in 1938.

His works were exhibited widely both at home and abroad. Among Leupin’s many awards are the Medal Award of the Art Directors Club Chicago (1960) and the Ernst-Litfass medal in Kassel, Germany (1974).

From staff and wire reports.

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