Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

Circa 1940 original travel poster after Kaeppelin - Le Puy-en-Velay - SNCF

Circa 1940

About the Item

This stunning circa 1940 original travel poster, designed after Kaeppelin, transports the viewer to the heart of Le Puy-en-Velay, a historic gem in the Auvergne region of central France. Issued by the SNCF (French National Railways), this artwork was part of a mid-20th century campaign to promote France’s rich cultural and spiritual destinations. The composition is a masterclass in stylized architecture and color harmony. Towering cathedrals, angular rooftops, and winding stone streets rise dramatically against the backdrop of volcanic peaks and deep skies, rendered in a striking palette of sage green, soft rose, and warm creams. The centerpiece is undoubtedly the Romanesque Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy, dramatically set into the hillside, commanding the view both spiritually and visually. Marked with the elegant subtitle “Ville d’Art – Ville Sainte”, this poster speaks to Le Puy’s unique blend of artistic heritage and religious significance—a pilgrimage site and the starting point of one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela. The stylized modernist influence seen in the rendering of the town's forms and shadows reflects the aesthetic trends of the 1930s–40s in French poster art, while still honoring the medieval soul of the city. Kaeppelin’s name is associated with poetic, almost dreamlike evocations of place, and this piece is no exception. A true collector's piece for lovers of vintage French travel posters, spiritual destinations, or the iconic SNCF aesthetic, this lithograph is a nostalgic and reverent ode to one of France’s most treasured historic towns. Railway - Rhône - Alps SNCF - City of Art, Holy city by the road of Auvergne Modern Andrezieux
  • Creation Year:
    Circa 1940
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 37.41 in (95 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)
  • Medium:
  • After:
    Philippe Kaeppelin (1917 - 2011)
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Good condition, soiling, on linen.
  • Gallery Location:
    PARIS, FR
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1792216138212

More From This Seller

View All
Original 1950s poster by French artist Paul Colin La Nuit de Mai à Bobino
By Paul Colin
Located in PARIS, FR
This original 1950s poster by legendary French graphic artist Paul Colin announces “La Nuit de Mai à Bobino”—a festive gala evening held on Thursday, May 25th, at the iconic Parisian...
Category

1950s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Linen, Paper, Lithograph

striking 1937 original Air France poster by artist Vinci - Art Deco - Airlines
Located in PARIS, FR
This striking 1937 Air France poster by artist Vinci celebrates the airline’s rapidly expanding global air network, at a time when commercial aviation was still a symbol of modern ma...
Category

1930s Art Deco Prints and Multiples

Materials

Linen, Paper, Lithograph

Original 1938 poster by Albert Solon - Air France Paris Rome Ala Littoria
Located in PARIS, FR
This original 1938 poster by Albert Solon captures a unique moment of international collaboration in the golden age of aviation. Created to promote the Air France–Ala Littoria route ...
Category

1930s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Linen, Paper, Lithograph

Original 1938 poster by Ray Bret-Koch Air France Europe to the Far East
Located in PARIS, FR
This original 1938 poster by Ray Bret-Koch was created to promote Air France’s legendary long-haul routes, stretching from Europe to the Far East. At a time when international air tr...
Category

1930s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Linen, Paper, Lithograph

Circa 1918 original poster by Raoul Dufy - The End of the Great War
By Raoul Dufy
Located in PARIS, FR
The circa 1918 original poster by Raoul Dufy, titled "La Fin de la Grande Guerre" (The End of the Great War), is a significant historical artifact commemorating the conclusion of Wor...
Category

1910s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Linen, Paper, Lithograph

Circa 1930 original poster by Jacques Majorelle, titled “Marrakech”
Located in PARIS, FR
The circa 1930 original poster by Jacques Majorelle, titled “Marrakech”, is a stunning representation of both the artist’s fascination with Morocco an...
Category

1930s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Linen, Paper, Lithograph

You May Also Like

Marching on a Butterbur Leaf
By Yoshitomo Nara
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Prints and Multiples

Materials

Paper, Linen, Lithograph

Beatles Yellow Submarine Pop Art Poster, Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in London, GB
Beatles Yellow Submarine Movie poster after Peter Max Peter Max is a German-American artist known for his colourful, psychedelic pop art, whi...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Linen

Bally By Bernard Villemot
By Bernard Villemot
Located in London, GB
Bally By Bernard Villemot Bernard Villemot was a renowned French graphic artist famous for his vibrant, stylized advertising posters, particularly for brands like Bally, Perrier, and Orangina. His distinctive use of bold colors and elegant silhouettes made his work iconic in mid-20th-century commercial art. 1979 Offset lithograph, vintage poster mounted...
Category

1970s Contemporary Prints and Multiples

Materials

Linen, Lithograph

100 Affiches Pablo Picasso Stone Lithograph Pablo Picasso
By Pablo Picasso
Located in London, GB
100 Affiches Pablo Picasso Lithograph Poster Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, and co-founder of the Cubist movement, which revolutionized European painting and sculptu...
Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Linen

Menton by Constantin 1960 Vintage French TRAVEL POSTER by Terechkovitch
By Constantin Terechkovitch
Located in London, GB
Menton by Constantin 1960 vintage French TRAVEL POSTER By Terechkovitch Georges Terechkovitch (1908-1993) was a French artist of Russi...
Category

1960s Contemporary Figurative Prints

Materials

Linen, Lithograph

"Potiphar's Wife", Stylized Figurative Abstract Woodcut on Handmade Paper
By Paula Walzer
Located in Soquel, CA
Delicate woodcut print on handmade paper of a stylized figure and hieroglyphic-like symbols by Monterey Bay artist Paula Walzer (British,/American 1926-20...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Handmade Paper, Woodcut, Raw Linen

Recently Viewed

View All