This circa 1940 original travel poster by French artist Jean Even promotes the winter resort of Le Mont-Dore, located in the volcanic mountains of Auvergne.
The poster features a playful and highly stylized composition: a smiling snowman, equipped with skis and winter accessories, towers behind a dynamic skier descending the slope. The bright colors—particularly the bold green background contrasted with vivid yellow and red accents—create a cheerful and inviting atmosphere, perfectly suited to the promotion of winter tourism.
Jean Even’s design reflects the evolution of French travel posters in the mid-twentieth century, moving toward simplified forms, bold color fields, and humorous imagery. The use of a friendly snowman as a central figure adds a sense of accessibility and charm, appealing to a wide audience and emphasizing the enjoyment of winter sports.
During this period, ski resorts such as Le Mont-Dore were becoming increasingly popular destinations. Posters played a crucial role in encouraging tourism, presenting mountain landscapes as places of leisure, health, and modern recreation. The reference to altitude on the poster highlights the appeal of the resort’s natural setting and its suitability for skiing.
Unlike earlier, more detailed illustrative posters, this work adopts a more graphic and modern style, focusing on strong visual impact rather than realism. This approach reflects broader trends in advertising design of the era, where clarity and memorability became essential.
Today, posters like Le Mont-Dore, Auvergne are appreciated not only as promotional material but also as collectible works of art. They capture the optimism and growing popularity of winter sports in France, while showcasing the creativity and visual innovation of mid-century poster design.
Original poster
Ski - Mountain - Puy-de-Dôme
De la Vasselais Paris
Good condition, small restored tears
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