Swiss painter and illustrator Emil Cardinaux was a pioneer of poster design, credited with creating the world’s first modern tourism poster in 1908. Characterized by his use of muted colors and simple yet powerful imagery, Cardinaux’s designs of more than 130 posters captured the world’s attention during the early 20th century and remain highly coveted by art dealers and collectors today.
Born in 1877, Cardinaux was encouraged by his parents to study law at the University of Bern before he turned his attention toward art, taking drawing lessons at the Berner Kunstschule under artist Paul Volmar. In 1898, he moved to Munich to continue his art studies, attending the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München as a student of painter Franz von Stuck.
Following his studies, Cardinaux traveled extensively throughout France, Italy and the Netherlands before returning to Bern in 1903 to focus on landscape painting.
In 1908, Cardinaux was commissioned by the Swiss government to design a promotional poster depicting the country’s famous Matterhorn mountain and Zermatt ski area. Inspired by the stark, symbolist paintings and prints of Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler, Cardinaux captured the mountain peak in its simplest form, overlooking a shadow-soaked valley.
Cardinaux’s streamlined Jugendstil style was a signature of many of his lithographic posters and landscape prints. He also designed materials for companies, including Tobler Schokolade (makers of Toblerone), the Bern truck factory and Bally shoes.
Throughout his career, Cardinaux created an extensive array of works, such as book illustrations, mono-card designs, printed material, landscape paintings and caricature drawings. However, his iconic posters are most sought after by Art Nouveau and Art Deco collectors and aficionados.
On 1stDibs, find a range of Emil Cardinaux prints and paintings.
1928 Original Jungfrau Railway poster, created by Émile Cardinaux
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in PARIS, FR
The original Jungfrau Railway poster, created by Swiss artist Émile Cardinaux in 1928, is a masterpiece of Swiss design. Cardinaux, who was born in Swi...
Linen, Paper, Lithograph
Chemin De Fer Rhetique
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in New York, NY
Chemin De Fer Rhetique, Grisons, Suisse. Chateau De Tarasp. 1913. Color lithograph Cardinaux created an extensive work of different media, he illu...
Lithograph
Original Jungfrau Railway Bernese Oberland vintage 1913 poster
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in Spokane, WA
The original vintage poster by Emil Cardinaux for the Jungfrau Railway in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, is a classic example of early 20th-century travel advertising. Emil Cardi...
Lithograph
Original Vintage Poster Teppichhaus Schuster St Gallen & Zurich Orient Carpets
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in London, GB
Original vintage carpet advertising poster for Teppichhaus Schuster & Co St Gallen & Zurich Switzerland featuring an Oriental style design depicting a lady playing music on a stringed instrument and a man reclining...
Paper
Jungfubahn
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in New York, NY
Cardinaux, Emil. Jungfubahn 1928. Color lithograph. 50 1/4 x 35 1/2" [large format]. Cardinaux’s posters were very influential on the way Switzerland saw and represented itself in...
Lithograph
Emil Cardinaux (1877-1936) - Fine Framed 1931 Oil, The Train Tracks
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in Corsham, GB
Delighted to present a very fine landscape study by the Swiss painter Emil Cardinaux. Known for his wonderful tourist posters and graphic designs, this unusual study still reflects h...
Oil
$544Sale Price|20% Off
H 28.94 in W 18.71 in D 0.04 in
Original Vintage Poster by Bernard Buffet May 1958 Original Vintage Poster
By Bernard Buffet
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Original vintage poster by Bernard Buffet May 1958.
Paper
1978 Grease Original Vintage Poster
Located in Winchester, GB
Released in 1978 and based on the 1971 musical of the same name, "Grease" was a huge critical and commercial success. With iconic songs and set pieces, the summer love story between ...
Paper
1986 Aliens Original Vintage Poster
Located in Winchester, GB
Released in 1986 after years of development delays, "Aliens" was a critical and commercial smash. Directed by a then relatively inexperienced James Cameron, the film took a different...
Paper
$88,735
H 3.15 in W 62.8 in D 45.67 in
Large Orientalist Painting of an Egyptian Landscape by Löffler
Located in London, GB
Large Orientalist painting of an Egyptian landscape by Löffler German, c. 1850 Canvas: Height 103cm, width 148cm Frame: Height 116cm, width 159.5cm, depth 8cm This superb oil paint...
Canvas, Wood, Oil, Wood Panel
$30,033
H 23.63 in W 28.75 in
Rivière Saulaie à Lyons-la-Forêt, Eure by Paulémile Pissarro - Oil painting
By Paul Emile Pissarro
Located in London, GB
Rivière Saulaie à Lyons-la-Forêt, Eure by Paulémile Pissarro (1884-1972) Oil on canvas 60 x 73 cm (23 ⁵/₈ x 28 ³/₄ inches) Signed lower left, Paulémile - Pissarro. Signed and titled...
Canvas, Oil
$225
H 28 in W 120 in
Vintage MOMA Francesco Clemente Museum of Modern Art 1986 dream myth poster
By Francesco Clemente
Located in New York, NY
This three-part work spanning 10 feet was printed from the plates of Francesco Clemente’s mythological landscape Untitled A on the occasion of the 1986 MoMA, New York show of Clement...
Lithograph, Offset
Jack Russell Terriers by Alexander Pope
By Alexander Pope
Located in Paonia, CO
An original chromolithograph from the Celebrated Dogs of America by Alexander Pope Jr. and published by S.E. Casino, Boston,1882. This compositio...
Lithograph
$2,383
H 13.39 in W 16.15 in
View of a mountain in Sonarmag, Kashmir region, Himalayas
Located in PARIS, FR
Andrée KARPELES Paris 1885 - Cannes 1956 View of a mountain in Sonarmag, Kashmir region, Himalayan Range About 1910 Oil on canvas Signed on the reverse on the stretcher Titled “...
Oil
$34,129
H 25.99 in W 33.08 in D 3.15 in
Orientalist Oil Painting of Damascus Gate in Jerusalem by Macco
By Georg Macco
Located in London, GB
Orientalist oil painting of Damascus Gate in Jerusalem by Macco German, Early 20th Century Frame: Height 66cm, width 84cm. depth 8cm Canvas: Height 42cm, width 59cm Imagined and brought to life by German artist and illustrator, Georg Macco (1863-1933), this captivating Orientalist oil-on-canvas painting showcases the vibrant scene at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Depicting a bustling thoroughfare, the canvas is alive with the energy of traders and their vibrant market stalls lining either side of the street. Amidst this animated marketplace are animals like goats and chickens, adding a further layer of authenticity to the scene, and showcasing the artist’s masterful range. A focal point is an elderly man, clad in warm shades of brown and beige, complemented by a vivid head scarf, as he ambles towards the viewer. Adjacent to him, a woman is immersed in a negotiation with a market vendor for an array of fruits and vegetables. Further in the backdrop, a colourful assemblage of individuals can be seen, swathed in a rainbow palette of red, yellow, brown, and blue. Their activities range from strolling towards the viewer, moving into the distance, or engaged in lively discussions. The painting's left side offers a more serene ambiance, with fewer market stalls and people. It features a female figure seated beside a stack of brown bags...
Oil
$20,477
H 25.6 in W 28.75 in D 3.94 in
Antique Orientalist Oil Painting of Biskra by Paul Lazerges
Located in London, GB
Antique Orientalist oil painting of Biskra by Paul Lazerges French, 1894 Canvas: Height 39cm, width 46cm Frame: Height 65cm, width 73cm, depth 10cm This oil on canvas by celebrated...
Canvas, Oil
$450
H 21.5 in W 29.5 in
SIBERIAN TIGERS Signed Hand Drawn Lithograph Snow Landscape Big Cats Drinking
By Sydney Taylor
Located in Union City, NJ
SIBERIAN TIGERS by the British wildlife artist Sydney Taylor, is an original hand drawn limited edition lithograph printed using hand lithography techniques on archival Somerset paper 100% acid free. SIBERIAN TIGERS is a contemporary wildlife landscape scene depicting a pair of Siberian tigers taking a cool drink from a snow covered riverbank. Printed in shades of blue, gray, light orange, brown, and touches of black with white accents emphasizing the icy landscape. This lithograph is a handmade original print, not a commercially mass produced poster or digital reproduction, quality craftsmanship. Year published - 1983 Edition size - 200, plus proofs Print size - 21.5" x 29.5", unframed, excellent condition, hand signed in pencil by Sydney Taylor The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris...
Lithograph
$2,621
H 15.75 in W 23.63 in
LANDESCAPE -French School -Oil on Canvas Italian Landscape Painting
By Luigi De Santis
Located in Napoli, IT
Italian Landscape - Luigi De Santis Italia 2006 - Oil on canvas cm. 40x60. The painting by L. De Santis is an oil on canvas depicting a neoclassical landscape inspired by Claude Lorrain, a French painter active mainly in Rome who was the most famous landscape painter of the Seicento, considered the master of the genre of the ideal landscape.
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 49.22 in W 35.44 in D 0.04 in
Original Antique Winter Travel Poster Palace Hotel St Moritz Switzerland
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in London, GB
Original antique winter travel poster for the Palace Hotel St. Moritz Switzerland featuring a stunning design by the notable Swiss artist Emil Cardinaux (1877-1936) depicting a group...
Paper
Sold
H 8.27 in W 5.52 in
Circa 1925 Original poster made by Emil Cardinaux - Zermatt Switzerland
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in PARIS, FR
Original poster made by Emil Cardinaux 🇨🇭 (1877-1936), one of the most important founders of the poster in Switzerland. In 1908, he was commissioned by the Swiss government to cre...
Linen, Paper, Lithograph
Sold
H 50.4 in W 35.83 in D 0.04 in
Original Vintage Poster Schweizerische Bundesbahnen Swiss Federal Railway Travel
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in London, GB
Original vintage railway travel advertising poster for Swiss Federal Railways / Schweizerische Bundesbahnen - featuring stunning artwork by Emil Cardinaux (1877-1936) depicting a scenic view of a red electric train...
Paper
Sold
H 50.4 in W 36.03 in D 0.04 in
Rare Original Antique Winter Sport Ski Travel Poster for St. Moritz Switzerland
By Emile Cardinaux
Located in London, GB
Rare original antique winter sport travel poster for St. Moritz in Switzerland, one of the early and most sought after winter sports posters, featuring ...
Paper