Une Parisienne 1957 French Grande Film Poster, Rinaldo Geleng & Fouteau & Rene Ferracci

This original Grande French film poster from 1957 was created for the romantic comedy Une Parisienne (also known as La Parisienne), a French-Italian co-production directed by Michel Boisrond. Featuring a vibrant design by renowned poster artists Rinaldo Geleng, Fouteau, and René Ferracci, the poster is a striking example of mid-century European cinema advertising — blending glamour, humour, and a touch of Parisian flair.

The film stars Brigitte Bardot at the height of her early fame, alongside Charles Boyer and Henri Vidal. Bardot plays a lively and rebellious young woman navigating love, politics, and high society, in a lighthearted story that reflects the changing roles of women and the allure of postwar Parisian culture.

Rendered in rich colours and stylish compositions, the poster captures the charm and vivacity of Bardot’s screen presence while showcasing the illustrative talents of three prominent poster designers. Rinaldo Geleng, known for his painterly approach; René Ferracci, celebrated for his bold, modernist sensibility; and Fouteau, a frequent collaborator on French commercial art — all contributed to this unique visual.

▼France has a long and rich history in poster design that dates back to the mid-19th century.... CLICK TO READ MORE

One of the most influential figures in the development of vintage posters was the French poster artist Jules Chéret. Around 1866, Chéret is credited with producing the first colour lithograph posters, using a technique he refined from the black and white process first invented by German actor and playwright Alois Senefelder in 1798. Cheret's three stone lithographic process allowed artists to achieve every colour in the rainbow using just three stones - usually red, yellow and blue - printed in careful registration.

The Parisian artists, headed by Cheret and including masters Steinlen, Willette, Grasset, Bonnard, Forain and, last but certainly not least, Toulouse-Lautrec's vibrant and eye-catching designs influenced, in part, by Japanese Woodcuts brought a new level of visual appeal to the streets of Paris and, in turn, established the poster as an art form.

The Belle Époque (Beautiful Era), a period of peace and frivolity in France from the late 19th to the early 20th century (1870-1914), played a significant role in the continued advancement of poster design. This era coincided with economic growth and the rise of a new middle class with disposable income and leisure time. It was during this time that the poster craze took hold in France, with posters being used for advertising various products, events, and entertainment.

Over the decades that followed from these auspicious beginnings French poster design continued to flourish and designers from around the world followed suit in experimenting with poster design for advertisements for cultural events, travel, film, food and drink and more.

This original vintage movie poster has been professionally linen-backed and is sized 44 1/2 x 62 1/2 inches (plus a couple more inches for the linen). It will be sent rolled (unframed).

• Year: 1957
  
• Poster Type: French Grande
  
• Style: -
• Art By: Rinaldo Geleng & Fouteau & Rene Ferracci
  
• Rolled/Folded/Other: Rolled Linen-backed
  
• Condition: Near Mint/Mint
  
• Condition Details: Originally folded (as issued), now professionally linen-backed with minor touch-up to folds. Paper darkended slightly with age on folds. Looks amazing.