Lucien Boucher’s iconic 1956 “Signes du Zodiaque” poster for Air France is a celestial masterpiece of mid-century travel design—where astrology, mythology, and aviation intersect in dazzling harmony. Commissioned as part of Air France’s renowned dream-map series, this lithograph blends poetic fantasy with the optimism of global flight during the golden age of air travel.
In this richly detailed composition, the night sky unfurls across the poster in twin celestial hemispheres, each filled with swirling, stylized zodiacal figures and mythological constellations. Boucher, known for his whimsical and surreal cartographic works, renders the cosmos in luminous greens and blues against a velvety navy ground, evoking the mystery and majesty of the heavens. The constellations—from Pegasus to Scorpio, from Aquarius to Orion—dance across the firmament, encircling the Earth with a sense of wonder and interconnectedness.
At the base of the image, a glowing orange globe—centered on Europe and Africa—is traced with the white lines of Air France’s international routes, connecting continents by air in a vision both romantic and modern. A single sleek aircraft glides across the sphere, symbolizing the power of flight to unite the terrestrial and the celestial.
A ribbon unfurls at the top with the words “Air France”, crowned by a radiant star bearing the company’s emblem. The design is bordered in an elegant chain motif, grounding the ethereal subject matter in a decorative Art Deco frame.
Lucien Boucher (1889–1971), often referred to as "le peintre de l’Air", was the principal artist for Air France’s illustrated world maps from the 1930s through the 1960s. With a background in engraving and Surrealism, Boucher’s imaginative compositions elevated commercial posters into art objects, blending information with enchantment.
This “Zodiac” edition is among the most collectible in the series, cherished for its unique blend of mythology, modernism, and aviation history. It speaks not only to the jet-set era’s optimism but to a broader, timeless human desire to chart the stars and connect the world.
A superb acquisition for collectors of vintage airline posters, astrological ephemera, or mid-century French design.
Airline - Planisphere - Space
Constellation - Blue
Printed by Perceval in Paris
Good condition, small stains
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