This striking original poster was created for the first edition of the Festival International Claude Debussy, held from September 12 to 29, 1990 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the birthplace of the iconic French composer. The event, organized by Radio France and local cultural institutions, celebrated Debussy’s enduring impact on the evolution of modern music, bridging the classical and the avant-garde.
The poster was designed by Ladislas Kijno (1921–2012), one of the most singular figures in post-war French art. Known for his experimental techniques and spiritual abstraction, Kijno brought his signature aerosol method to this commission. His dynamic portrait of Debussy — rendered in vivid, fragmented lines — seems to emerge from a cosmic void. The image is simultaneously anatomical and abstract, poetic and powerful, echoing the subtle complexities of Debussy’s music.
The composition is divided into two fields: a dramatic black upper section, in which the painted silhouette floats, and a bold turquoise band below that contains the event details in clean serif typography. Debussy’s name, repeated in his own flowing signature across the bottom of the black field, adds a human, almost intimate touch to the otherwise celestial image.
Kijno’s poster succeeds in capturing both the intellectual gravity and the ethereal beauty of Debussy’s legacy. It is not just a promotional object but a visual homage — a synthesis of sound and vision, music and metaphysics. Today, this poster stands as a rare artifact from a culturally significant event and a compelling example of contemporary graphic art rooted in modernist tradition.
Music - Show - Yvelines
Saint Germain en Laye
Printed by Hofer in Gentilly
Good condition, creases
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