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Bernard VILLEMOT

(1911 – 1989)

"A poster is a drawing, a painting and colours. I'm a painter, a poster artist and draftsman."
Bernard Villemot is one of the most important French graphic designers of the second half of the 20th century.
Through its simple compositions, elegant figures and use of warm, vibrant colours that evoke Matisse's cut-outs, Villemot has produced innovative advertising campaigns, particularly for Air France, Orangina, Perrier and Bally shoes.
From 1932 to 1934, Bernard Villemot studied with Paul Colin, whose advice he retained was "You have to treat a poster like a painting".
Before the Second World War, he worked first as a cartoonist (Le Rire), then created his first posters for the cinema, including Jacques Feyder's "Carnival in Flanders" in 1935. During the war, he worked for official organisations: he decorated the windows of the Sports Commission or made a series of posters "Work, Family, Homeland".
It was only after the war that his work as a poster designer really began: "The pre-war period was my beginning, the war was survival, and my activity really began only after the war, from 1946 onwards", he declared.
He first created posters for La Croix Rouge (1945-46), then in 1947-48 began a series of tourist posters for Air France.
His first Air France posters for North Africa announced his style: large flat tints of colour, minimal lines delivering a simple message, leaving space for the viewer's imagination.
"I may have been the first to treat images in large flat areas of colour, much like Matisse did in painting."
In 1953, Bernard Villemot began his collaboration with Orangina. He created the famous Orangina logo for the brand as well as posters that still remain in the collective memory.
From the 1960s until his death in 1989, he produced posters for Perrier, Contrex, Campari or Bally shoes, to name but a few famous examples. His posters became even more abstract with fewer details and more blocks of colour. Women are often depicted in Villemot's posters: modern, elegant and glamorous. We can see his inspiration sources in his posters of that time: Paul Colin, A.M. Cassandre or L. Cappiello.
The subjects stand out from a plain background, often black, or composed of two strong colours creating a chromatic contrast between them, as in the 1989 Bally poster. The use of sensual and elegant lines create minimalist figures, almost abstract.

Include sold items

L'Énergie Nucléaire, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique

circa 1950

CHF 470.–

Antar, G-Mo, L'huile du silence

circa 1950

CHF 490.–

Vichy, Mai-Octobre

1953

CHF 1145.–

Espagne

1953

CHF 970.–

Lisieux, centre mondial de pèlerinages

1954

CHF 790.–

Perrier Pschitt, eau minérale gazeuse naturelle

1957

CHF 1360.–

New

Vichy

1960

CHF 1220.–

Point "F" fourrures

circa 1965

CHF 1260.–

Vichy-Etat, Bon foie Mesdames... Bon foie Messieurs

circa 1965

CHF 490.–

Visitez le Val de Loire

1967

CHF 390.–

Visitez le Val de Loire, avec les trains et les autocars

1968

CHF 370.–

SNCF, location de voitures, Service train + auto

1971

CHF 460.–

Bally

circa 1971

CHF 370.–

SNCF, une nuit en voiture-lit

1973

CHF 950.–

SNCF, une nuit en voiture-lit

1973

CHF 720.–

Bally

1979

CHF 1240.–

South American Golf Circuit, Grand prix Pierre Cardin

1979

CHF 360.–

Crosse & Blackwell Tomato Ketchup

circa 1980

CHF 375.–

Contrex

circa 1980

CHF 540.–

Bally

circa 1980

CHF 940.–

Confiance à Contrex ...avec un régime raisonnable

circa 1980

CHF 960.–

Perrier, l'eau, l'air, la vie

1983

CHF 250.–

Bally

circa 1985

CHF 440.–

Orangina, La fidélité d'une marque à un artiste

circa 1986

CHF 340.–

Chaussures Bally

1990

CHF 1520.–