Air France - Africa - Colin

Created in 1956 by celebrated French poster artist Paul Colin, this original Air France travel poster promotes Africa as one of the airline’s international destinations. Colin constructed the image around three distinctive African animals: a herd of elephants crossing the distant horizon, resting lions in the middle ground, and a powerful Cape buffalo dominating the foreground. The simplified landscape and restrained typography give the animals a monumental presence while keeping the message immediately recognizable as an Air France travel advertisement.Air France was founded in 1933 through the merger of several French aviation companies and developed into one of the world’s major international airlines, eventually serving destinations in 78 countries. It remained France’s national flag carrier until its 2003 merger with KLM. Throughout its history, Air France placed exceptional importance on graphic design, commissioning more than 1,500 posters from prominent artists. Rather than simply advertising transportation, these posters frequently presented dream-like interpretations of destinations, encouraging travelers to imagine the experience and adventure of international travel.Paul Colin (1892–1985) was one of the most influential French poster artists of the twentieth century. He achieved international recognition during the 1920s through his work for Parisian theaters and performers, most famously Josephine Baker and the Revue Nègre. Over a career span of more than five decades, Colin created hundreds of posters for theater, travel, exhibitions and commercial clients. His work is distinguished by strong composition, simplified forms and an ability to communicate a subject with remarkable visual economy. His 1956 Africa design is among his best-known travel posters for Air France.This is an Original Vintage Poster, it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all our posters.