Bally Les jambes Circa 1970

This original circa 1970 lithograph by Bernard Villemot was created for Bally and is commonly known as Les Jambes, or “The Legs”. Designed to promote the company’s women’s footwear, it transforms the model and her shoes into a refined study of line, colour and negative space.

The composition depicts an elegant seated woman with dramatically elongated, crossed legs. Her black dress merges almost completely into the dark background, leaving her face, arms and legs to define the graceful silhouette, while a pair of bright pink shoes provides the principal focus.

Villemot uses a remarkably restricted palette of black, cream, white, yellow and pink. The contrast between the dark ground and the exposed figure creates an immediate visual impact, while the large white Bally name and the artist’s signature complete the carefully balanced design.

Bernard Villemot was one of the foremost French poster artists of the twentieth century. His longstanding collaboration with Bally produced some of his most recognisable images, frequently using the female figure, expressive colour and simplified forms to evoke elegance without showing the product in conventional detail.

A sophisticated and iconic example of French fashion advertising, this original lithograph would make an excellent addition to a collection devoted to Bally, footwear, Bernard Villemot or mid-century graphic design.

Original lithography

Mode - Advertising

IPA

Very good state