Musée de l'homme - Nouvelle Guinée Haut Morobé et Bas Sépik 1956

Designed by Jarl Falck in 1956, this original French poster was created for the exhibition Nouvelle-Guinée: Haut Morobé et Bas Sépik at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris. The exhibition presented the art and material culture of the Upper Morobe and Lower Sepik regions, both located in what is now Papua New Guinea.

Founded in 1937 and housed in the Palais de Chaillot, the Musée de l’Homme formed part of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle. During the mid-twentieth century, its exhibitions introduced Parisian audiences to anthropology and to cultural traditions from around the world, while reflecting the museum practices and perspectives of their period.

Falck’s composition is dominated by an imposing, mask-like form with four concentric eyes. Painted in coral red, ochre, cream and black, the motif possesses an intense frontal presence. Its expressive, almost gestural treatment contrasts dramatically with the precise blue typography announcing the exhibition, producing a particularly powerful example of 1950s museum graphic design.

Jarl Falck (1901–1983) was a graphic artist, painter and photographer who created several posters for the Musée de l’Homme. His work combined modern European design with carefully selected imagery related to the exhibitions, translating complex ethnographic subjects into direct and memorable visual compositions.

Printed in lithography by Bedos & Cie in Paris, this original poster is an appealing piece for collectors of museum advertising, ethnographic exhibition history, Oceanic art and mid-century French graphic design. Its striking palette, monumental imagery and strong modernist typography also give it remarkable decorative presence.

Original Poster

Pacific - Art Prime

Papua New Guinea - Top Morobé and Low Sepik

Bedos & Cie Paris

Good condition, traces of folds