A Short Biography of Guy Georget

Today we feature the posters of another great poster artist: Guy Georget, and one who deserves more attention from connoisseurs of the travel and product posters.

We have combed our shop  library of poster books and found no biography of Guy Georget. Google yields nothing, and even our French Auction sites are mum about the man who created some of our favorite posters, beyond his birth and death dates (1911-1992). Another proof of the fact that poster artists were most often considered mere “ad men” and not true artists. Since an “imaginary life of Guy Georget” hasn’t come out yet, let’s focus on what we do know — his work!

Original "Spain (arch)" poster by Guy Georget, c,1948

Georget’s first commercial posters appear in the late 1940s. Hired by the tourist boards, the artist produced posters tempting people to visit Spain in which you see the influence of Picasso and Georges Braque.

Original "Spain (orange and peppers)" poster by Guy Georget, c.1950

Looking at the artist’ work s from this period, one is struck by his sense of composition and perspective, and his rather classical choice of subjects. His “España” from c.1950 poster looks a lot like a still life, with rather emblematic objects of that specific genre – fruits, amphora. However, after a closer look, some signs of his later style can be found in the geometric design of the fan, the yellow of the lemon.

Original "Espana (guitar)" Poster by Guy Georget, c.1950

In 1960, Georget was awarded a plum which would please any graphic artist —  he was selected to design the logo of France’s venerable Postal Service  “La Poste”

The famous logo of La Poste, created by Guy Georget in 1960 (photo courtesy of google)

During this period, he also worked for Air France, another prestigious post for graphic artists of the time.

Original "Air France -- French Riviera" Poster by Guy Georget, c.1965

We have sold Georget’s work spanning a 3 decades the 1940s, the 1950s and the 1960s.   During those years, his style evolved from traditional to fun and light hearted. If you look at his work chronologically, you will see how his style became more graphic, his lines bolder, his colors brighter. His “Mexico” poster for Air France from 1963 flirts with cubism. The white outline around the character and the palm leaf makes it appear almost as a collage. The result is a bright, attractive image, evoking Mexico’s sunny weather, folklore and exoticism.

Original "Air France Mexique" Poster by Guy Georget, 1963

A talented graphic artist to must be  “au courant” — on the cutting edge of new trends, of the evolution of art and perception: by adapting his style to his time, Georget managed to keep his clients’ image modern and attractive, and proved his talent as a poster artist.

Speaking of “au courant,” look at how Georget reflects the best of the post-war style in his poster for philips, where lightbulbs go on strike.

Original "Philips (strike)" poster by Guy Georget, c.1950

If you want to see more Guy  Georget posters, come to our showroom in Berkeley or to one of our upcoming shows. You can also visit our website to see our extensive collection of original travel posters from 1880 to 1970.

Sources:

“Air France Posters: Making the World Dream” by Calvet and Thibault. Publisher: Le Cherche Midi. 2006.

 

This blog post co-authored by VEP Intern

Candie Sanderson

Student at La Sorbonne Nouvelle

And Vintage European Posters’ Owner Elizabeth Norris