Created by Albert Brenet in 1972, this original French poster promotes the Musée Français du Chemin de Fer in Mulhouse. Produced during the museum’s earliest years, it celebrates the preservation of France’s railway heritage and the fascination inspired by historic steam locomotives.
The museum first opened to the public in 1971 inside the former Mulhouse-Nord steam depot. Its collection brought together important locomotives, carriages and railway equipment preserved by the SNCF. The institution later moved to a purpose-built site and is now known as the Cité du Train, one of Europe’s most important railway museums.
Brenet depicts the imposing green steam locomotive known as the Parthenay inside the atmospheric darkness of the depot. Two children stand beside its enormous wheels, emphasising the scale and mechanical power of the machine. Brilliant green paintwork, polished brass fittings and white highlights emerge dramatically from the shadowed industrial interior.
Albert Brenet (1903–2005) was a celebrated French painter, illustrator and poster artist whose work frequently explored ships, aircraft, trains and modern transportation. His energetic brushwork and remarkable understanding of machinery allowed him to combine technical precision with a strong sense of movement and atmosphere. Commissioned by the SNCF, this composition was developed from a gouache study made in front of the locomotive.
Printed in offset for the French National Railways, this original poster is particularly appealing to collectors of railway history, steam locomotives, SNCF advertising and French transport graphics. Its impressive vertical format and richly painted industrial subject also make it a powerful decorative work.
Original Poster
Alsace - Exhibition - Railways
Very good condition
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