Created in 1953 for an exhibition held at the Archives Nationales, this refined poster celebrates the deep historical roots of French wine culture. Designed in a deliberately medieval-inspired style, it echoes illuminated manuscripts, instantly situating wine not merely as a product, but as a civilizational heritage woven into the fabric of French history.
The composition is divided into richly decorated panels. At the center, scenes of grape harvesting, treading, and barrel filling evoke traditional winemaking practices passed down through centuries. The figures—dressed in stylized historical garments—suggest continuity from the Middle Ages to the modern era. On the left, a religious vignette recalls wine’s sacred symbolism, referencing its liturgical and spiritual significance alongside its everyday role.
The ornate floral borders and calligraphic typography reinforce the connection to manuscript illumination, a visual language associated with preservation, knowledge, and national memory—an especially fitting choice for an exhibition curated by the Archives Nationales. The poster announces the exhibition dates (17 April – 26 May 1953) and opening hours with elegant restraint, allowing imagery and craftsmanship to take precedence.
Produced in postwar France, this poster also carries a subtle cultural message: wine as a symbol of resilience, continuity, and national identity. At a time when France was reaffirming its traditions and global cultural standing, wine stood as both an economic pillar and a shared heritage transcending class and region.
Today, Le vin de France dans l’histoire is a striking example of mid-20th-century French exhibition design—where historical scholarship, graphic elegance, and national pride converge. It remains highly desirable among collectors of wine-related imagery, cultural posters, and French institutional graphics.
Original Poster
Exhibition - Alcohol - France
National Archives
Printed by Mourlot in Paris
Good condition
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