Festival de Lyon Charbonnières 1957

This striking poster was created by renowned French Fauvist and modernist painter Raoul Dufy for the Festival de Lyon–Charbonnières in 1957. Commissioned by the Syndicat d’Initiative de Lyon, the poster announces one of the region’s most prominent cultural events, celebrating music, visual arts, and the performing arts in post-war France.

Dufy’s design radiates his distinctive style: bold outlines, flowing lines, and vibrant, expressive colors. A seated woman in a voluminous white dress, delicately stylized, becomes the central figure — her contemplative pose and expressive hands invite the viewer into a world of introspection and artistry. The soft pinks and greens contrast sharply with the dark, gestural strokes that define her face and background, embodying Dufy’s hallmark approach to line and color. The composition’s graphic sensibility underscores his versatility not just as a painter but as a master of decorative design.

Printed in lithography, this poster exemplifies mid-century French cultural elegance and the post-war revival of the arts. Dufy, whose work often celebrated joy, leisure, and modernity, brings his characteristic lightness to this public commission — transforming an event poster into a work of art in its own right.

An exceptional and scarce piece for collectors of 20th-century design, French modernism, or festival ephemera.

Exhibition - Impressionism

Lyon Tourist Information Office

Good condition, pin holes, folds, missing at the bottom