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Jean-Charles Contel1926 original travel poster by Jean-Charles Contel - Bretagne Saint Brieuc1926
1926
About the Item
This 1926 original travel poster by French illustrator Ch. Jean Contel transforms the gothic solemnity of Saint-Brieuc Cathedral into a vibrant cultural heartbeat, framed by the daily bustle of a Breton market square. Commissioned by the Chemins de fer de l'État — the French State Railways — this image was more than an advertisement for a journey; it was a celebration of rooted tradition, regional pride, and France’s enduring love affair with its provinces.
At the center stands the imposing façade of Saint-Brieuc Cathedral, rendered with a painterly blend of architectural reverence and imaginative distortion. Its turrets and towers climb into a sky of swirling cloud forms, stylized and dramatic, giving the stone a strangely animate energy. Contel's technique borders on expressionism, capturing not photographic realism but the emotional gravity of place.
Yet the real dynamism happens below. In rich hues of green, ochre, and red, the canvas bursts to life with the movement of an outdoor market. Tents flap, fabrics billow, and townspeople engage in the timeless ritual of trade. This juxtaposition — ancient church and ephemeral commerce — is no accident. It asserts the dual identity of Brittany: spiritual and earthy, monumental and immediate.
The typographic treatment mirrors this tension. “Excursions en Bretagne” glows in warm gold against a deep red frame, invoking the romance of rail travel and the rustic elegance of regional tourism. At a time when the French railway system was expanding leisure access to remote locales, posters like this one invited urban dwellers to rediscover the soul of rural France — accessible now by timetable.
Crucially, this is a poster not of conquest or exoticism, but of cultural intimacy. There is no grand vista, no sweeping panorama of nature. Instead, it zeroes in on a civic heart — a cathedral anchoring a human-scaled town, alive with sound, scent, and texture. It invites the viewer to step not just into Brittany, but into the rhythm of its everyday life.
Nearly a century later, Contel’s vision endures — a striking blend of illustration and invitation, where the local becomes universal, and a train ticket becomes a passport to authenticity.
Railway - Côtes d'Armor - Tourism - France
Printed by Chaix in Paris
- Creator:Jean-Charles Contel (1895 - 1928, French)
- Creation Year:1926
- Dimensions:Height: 41.74 in (106 cm)Width: 29.53 in (75 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:Good condition, small tears.
- Gallery Location:PARIS, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1792216461422
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