Lancelot du Lac 1974

Created in 1974 by Raymond Savignac, this original French movie poster was commissioned for Robert Bresson’s Lancelot du Lac. Printed in lithography and issued for the film’s original theatrical release, it combines Savignac’s unmistakable graphic economy with the darker and more austere atmosphere of Bresson’s interpretation of the Arthurian legend.

The composition depicts an armoured knight being violently thrown from a black horse. Rider and animal form a dramatic falling silhouette, their raised limbs creating a powerful sense of movement. Beneath the knight, a brilliant pool of red introduces an uncompromising image of injury and death, while the pale blue and cream background gives the central motif exceptional clarity.

Savignac reduces the medieval battlefield to a few essential shapes and colours. The gold armour, black horse and vivid red blood communicate the film’s themes immediately, without relying on conventional heroic imagery. The elegant blue title across the upper section contrasts sharply with the brutality of the scene, reinforcing the tension between romantic legend and physical violence.

Written and directed by Robert Bresson, Lancelot du Lac follows the surviving Knights of the Round Table after their unsuccessful search for the Holy Grail. The conflict between Lancelot’s loyalty to King Arthur and his love for Queen Guinevere contributes to the disintegration of Camelot. Presented at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, the film received the International Critics’ Prize.

Raymond Savignac (1907–2002) was one of the most influential French poster designers of the twentieth century, celebrated for his visual wit, simplified drawing and memorable advertising campaigns. Film posters represent a relatively small part of his work, making this striking collaboration with Robert Bresson particularly desirable for collectors of Savignac, French cinema and modern graphic design.

Original Poster

Cinema - History

Film by Robert Bresson

Bedos and Cie Paris

Good condition, folds