Bigger is Better

59 x 117 in./149.8 x 297.2 cm
Imp. de la Vasselais, Paris

Many of Morvan’s more than 800 posters were for films, but his broad colors and incisive wit are displayed to best advantage in his product posters, as is the case here. The bike racer mounted in this three-sheet poster takes a break from the rigors of competition, allowing himself a moment of refreshment. Although it appears as if he hasn’t even taken a sip, the mere act of hearing the trademark “pschitt” and seeing the effervescent dance of Perrier sparkling water is enough to brighten his face, as well as the air surrounding the bottle.

79 1/4 x 77 1/4 in./201 x 196.2 cm
Otis Litho., Cleveland

Although the typography and language in this square, four-sheet design are identical to the one used in a previous vertical format (see PAI-LIV, 126), the production company may well have employed a different artist. The previous scene of violence is handled in a more painterly and less tightly illustrative style than the picture in combat. Both scenes, however, are presented as heroic tableaux, with the treachery of the Indians and the bravery of the infantrymen emphasized to arouse the film viewer’s sympathy.

125 x 87 in./317.5 x 221 cm
Imp. Chaix, Paris

"Around 1900 in France, poster-mania had spread like wildfire with a vogue for organizing poster competitions that had apparently originated in the United States. There were generally two stages of competition: a preliminary round for draft layouts, followed by a second round between finalists. For the Bi-Borax poster competition (1897), there was an additional step in the selection process: after the eight finalists had been picked by a jury, their entries were printed together in the form of one very large [four-sheet] poster… the general public was then invited to select and vote for their favorite entry… The eight final designs were labeled with a capital letter, from A to H which corresponded to, respectively: L. Kovalsky, M. Clément, F. Poulboot, H. Detouche, J. Chadel, Ch. Weisser, J. Everlé, and one other, anonymous finalist. The text incorporated in each design was identical: ‘Oriental Bi-Borax cleans, purifies, cleanses’” (Health Posters, p. 155).

124 1/4 x 91 1/8 in./315.5 x 231.5 cm
Cinemato, Paris

René Gruau made his mark with his iconic Miss Dior fashion campaign in 1947. Here, his Toulouse-Lautrec-inspired aesthetic is fully on display with this quite witty show stopper for Lido showgirls. Mind the gap; enjoy the view. This is a four-sheet poster.

100 x 90 in./305 x 228.6 cm
Imp. Art & Publicité, Paris

Everyone laughs at Luna Park, including the gallivanting camel on display in this rare four-sheet poster (in two parts) by Bridge.

77 3/4 x 146 7/8 in./197.5 x 373 cm

“Fleur des Neiges is one of the products of Biscuits Pernot; since it means ‘snow flowers,’ Cappiello creates a verbal association by giving us two lovely ladies worthy of the name, their scarlet coats like blossoms in the vast whiteness. Their placement at the bottom of the vertical design with a snowy landscape allows the artist to create a brilliant impression reminiscent of classical Japanese prints of similar configuration” (Cappiello/Rennert, p. 83). This is a three-sheet poster.

77 1/2 x 122 1/4 in./197 x 310.8 cm

This is the original larger, four-sheet version of the popular 1909 design that has become firmly and indelibly associated with this product. It’s just the kind of bold overstatement that Cappiello believed would most effectively deliver the message, even with regard to so humble a product as a heating pad. It became so well-equated with the product, in fact, that this image was reprinted in many versions and editions for more than 30 years.

78 3/8 x 117 3/4 in./199.2 x 299 cm
Imp. Devambez, Paris

“Here, the flame-hot ‘spirit of gas’ hovers over one of the Becuwe gas stoves (’Fourneaux’). The common denominator between [this and another design; see PAI-X, 149] is the near-photographic approach Cappiello used to render the appliances against the paper background. He varies the composition, but achieves the same stunning effect to entice the viewer. And seeing as the firm’s stove is considerably larger than their iron, the larger four-sheet format utilized here is proportionally appropriate” (Cappiello/Rennert, p. 274).

143 x 88 in./363.2 x 223.5 cm
Affiches Mauzi Joyant, Paris

Misti executed several promotions for the Pygmalion department store, and this four-sheet billboard is one of the most fascinating specimens of his work. Using their selection of magnificent artist’s sketch books as a jumping off point for the 1907 holiday gift sale, the design features an array of bewildering elements combined to create an enchanting image of delightful consumerism. The frieze at top uses the repeating motif of package-laden customers streaming towards their homes to create a flurry of a street scene, while the bottom tableau recreates a charming Dutch figurine pastoral. And though the fancy lad with out-turned pockets to the right would seem to indicate a less than bounteous atmosphere, the implied message seems to be that even if you are beset by less than prosperous times, Pygmalion can still come through with an assortment of gift-giving splendor.

100 x 153 in./254 x 388.6 cm
Les Affiches Lutetia / Devambez, Paris

This monumental, 13-foot-tall champion of the French culinary tradition is not celebrating olive oil, as you might expect. Instead, this ruddy-cheeked chef is pouring out extra-virgin peanut oil, sourced from Rufisque, a city in Senegal. His chef's hat and shirt bear the four-diamond logo of Lesieur, the popular cooking oil producer whose products are on virtually every French cook's shelf, even today. This four-sheet poster is the largest of three formats.

156 x 122 in./396.2 x 309.8 cm
Imp. IPA, Champigny

Over a thirty-year period starting in 1955, Villemot executed about twenty designs for Orangina. Most of them featured a red swirl of some sort—beach umbrellas (as is the case in this two-sheet design), hats, orange peels, spectacles, even hair curls—which has become associated with the product and lends a young upbeat feel to the images.

91 x 61 in./231.1 x 154.9 cm
La Lande-Courbet, Wissous

One of the rarer designs in Villemot's oeuvre for Orangina, this two-sheet billboard turns the iconic orange peel into fashionable summer outerwear.

79 x 135 in./200.6 x 342.9 cm
Imp. P. Vercasson, Paris

Beginning publication in 1897, Le Cri de Paris was a satirical weekly put out by Louis-Alfred Natanson, who was also the co-director of La Revue Blanche. Between August of 1898 and June of 1902, Cappiello contributed numerous front and back covers, as well as this poster, “with caricaturistic portraits of cloaked and masked figures at a ball, no doubt whispering the latest news and gossip that they’ve just picked up from Le Cri. In his 1903 publicity flyer, Vercasson cited the testimonial of the paper’s editor, Marilhet: ‘Cappiello’s poster that you executed for us has resulted in numerous compliments, and from an advertising point of view, the poster produced all the results I could have wished for’” (Cappiello/Rennert, p. 44). This is a three-sheet poster.

78 x 124 in./198.1 x 314.9 cm
Imp. P. Vercasson, Paris

“Bastos are the ‘clubs’ suite in a Spanish deck of cards, hence the symbol on the logo, as well as the mirror-image approach also associated with playing cards, albeit normally seen in a vertical alignment. The generic figurines don’t represent any specific country or culture per se, but their billowing white robes set against the geometric rug-like treatment of the club motif in the background, makes for a most striking image” (Cappiello/Rennert, p. 173). This is a five-sheet poster.

97 x 153 in./246.4 x 388.6 cm
Imp. P. Vercasson, Paris

“Cappiello showed the pleasure of smoking by projecting an image of a hedonistic Middle-Eastern potentate luxuriating with a self-rolled cigarette. In fact, the imperious pasha floats on his coach like a fat white cloud—an incongruous and therefore memorable image” (Cappiello/Rennert, p. 156). This long-lasting design would see thirteen further printings; this is the largest, four-sheet format.