Windsor Castle c1913 French Railway Travel Advertising Poster, Constant Duval

This elegant French railway travel poster from around 1913 was created by artist Constant Duval, known for his scenic and atmospheric illustrations promoting European tourism.

Commissioned to promote rail travel between Paris and London, the poster highlights a serene view of Windsor Castle, offering French travellers a romantic glimpse of the English countryside. With its soft colours and refined composition, the work exemplifies early 20th-century travel advertising, when posters served as both promotional tools and artistic invitations to explore iconic destinations by rail.

The French painter and poster artist best known for his vibrant Art Deco-style railway posters. Constant Léon Duval (1877–1956) posters advertised travel to scenic destinations around France he also created numerous posters of French châteaux, mainly those in the Loire Valley, promoting tourism for the Paris to Orléans railway company (Chemins de fer de Paris à Orléans) 

▼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 29 1/2 x 41 1/4 inches (plus a couple more inches for the linen). It will be sent rolled (unframed).

• Year: c1913
  
• Poster Type: French Railway Travel Poster
  
• Style: -
• Art By: Constant Duval
  
• Rolled/Folded/Other: Rolled Linen-backed
  
• Condition: Near Mint/Mint
  
• Condition Details: Originally rolled, now professionally linen-backed. Looks superb.