Roussillon 1952 SNCF French Railway Travel Advertising Poster, Francois Desnoyer

Beautiful original 1952 SNCF French Railways Travel poster to promote travel to the Roussillon area in the French Catalonia region of Southern France. We love the colourful design by Francois Desnoyer. Poster is in superb Near Mint/Mint condition.

François Desnoyer (1894 - 1972) was a French Impressionist & Modern painter known for his figurative and abstract works. Desnoyer initially studied architecture but later decided to pursue art and enrolled at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Desnoyer's early works were more traditional and influenced by the post-impressionist style. However, starting in the 1930s, he shifted towards a more abstract approach, experimenting with colour and form. His abstract works often depicted landscapes and still lifes, characterised by bold brushwork and vibrant colours.

The SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) is France's national state-owned railway company and was founded in 1938.

▼France has a long and rich history in poster design that dates back to the mid-19th century.... CLICK TO READ MORE

One of the most influential figures in the development of vintage posters was the French poster artist Jules Chéret. Around 1866, Chéret is credited with producing the first colour lithograph posters, using a technique he refined from the black and white process first invented by German actor and playwright Alois Senefelder in 1798. Cheret's three stone lithographic process allowed artists to achieve every colour in the rainbow using just three stones - usually red, yellow and blue - printed in careful registration.

The Parisian artists, headed by Cheret and including masters Steinlen, Willette, Grasset, Bonnard, Forain and, last but certainly not least, Toulouse-Lautrec's vibrant and eye-catching designs influenced, in part, by Japanese Woodcuts brought a new level of visual appeal to the streets of Paris and, in turn, established the poster as an art form.

The Belle Époque (Beautiful Era), a period of peace and frivolity in France from the late 19th to the early 20th century (1870-1914), played a significant role in the continued advancement of poster design. This era coincided with economic growth and the rise of a new middle class with disposable income and leisure time. It was during this time that the poster craze took hold in France, with posters being used for advertising various products, events, and entertainment.

Over the decades that followed from these auspicious beginnings French poster design continued to flourish and designers from around the world followed suit in experimenting with poster design for advertisements for cultural events, travel, film, food and drink and more.

This original vintage movie poster has been professionally linen-backed is sized an impressive 25 3/4 x 39 1/8 inches (plus a little more with the linen). It will be sent rolled (unframed).

• Year: 1952
  
• Poster Type: French Travel Poster
  
• Style: -
• Art By: Francois Desnoyer
  
• Rolled/Folded/Other: Rolled - Linen-backed
  
• Condition: Near Mint/Mint
  
• Condition Details: