Roland Garros 1989 - De Maria

This expressive poster created for the 1989 French Open captures the spirit of Roland Garros through bold color fields and lyrical abstraction. Nicola De Maria’s composition is dominated by radiant sweeps of blue, green, red, and yellow, converging toward a central point that suggests movement, intensity, and competitive focus. The handwritten-style lettering floats across the surface, reinforcing the sense of spontaneity and artistic freedom that defines the image. Rather than depicting tennis literally, De Maria evokes the emotion and energy of the tournament through color, rhythm, and gesture.Commissioned as the official poster for the 1989 French Open, the design reflects the tournament’s long-standing relationship with contemporary art. That year’s championships produced historic results on the clay courts of Paris. In the men’s singles, Michael Chang captured his first Grand Slam title in a remarkable performance marked by resilience and tactical brilliance, becoming the youngest men’s Grand Slam champion in history. The women’s singles title was won by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, who claimed her first major championship and signaled the arrival of a new force in women’s tennis.The French Open, first held in 1891, is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments and the premier clay-court championship in the world. Played at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris since 1928, the tournament is renowned for its demanding surface, which rewards endurance, strategy, and technical mastery. Over the decades, Roland Garros has become synonymous with tennis tradition, innovation, and artistic collaboration, commissioning leading artists each year to create posters that reflect both the sport and the cultural identity of the event.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.