Air France – Project For Italy Georges Mathieu, Trial Proof Before Lettering, Circa 1967

Rare trial version created by Georges Mathieu as part of the prestigious Air France campaign commissioned from the artist in the late 1960s. This composition precedes the final poster dedicated to Italy and offers an exceptional insight into Mathieu's creative process.

Issued before the destination name was added, this version reveals the work in its purest and most spontaneous form. Considerably rarer than the final posters, such trial or preparatory versions are seldom encountered on the market.

The composition is structured around an explosion of vivid colours. A radiant yellow dominates the surface while a deep, luminous blue anchors the centre of the image. Accents of red intensify the chromatic tension, creating a striking visual balance. Across this vibrant background unfold the characteristic black signs of Georges Mathieu: rapid arabesques, energetic loops, calligraphic gestures and explosive strokes that appear suspended in space.

This work stands both as an important document in the history of twentieth-century graphic design and as an autonomous artistic creation of remarkable visual power.

Presented in a modern black frame.

Framed dimensions: 64 × 104 cm

If one poster could encapsulate Georges Mathieu's vision of Italy, it would undoubtedly be this one.

Where the poster devoted to Spain explored silence and introspection, Italy becomes a celebration of movement, colour and excess. Everything seems to swirl, unfold and flourish in an energy that is almost theatrical.

Speaking of the final version of the poster, Georges Mathieu wrote:

“Whoever does not perceive or love the Baroque cannot love Italy.

Here there is no transcendence. Everything is theatre, solemnity and ritual.

Exuberance, turbulence, opulence.

Volutes, arabesques, whirlwinds. Pathetic swellings.

Art has taken as its model the emphasis of gesture, the resonance of words and the overflow of life.”

It is difficult to imagine a more faithful visual translation of these words. The curves multiply endlessly, the colours radiate with almost Mediterranean intensity, and every stroke seems animated by irrepressible energy.

Beyond its rarity, this trial version captivates through its extraordinary decorative presence. The combination of radiant yellow, deep blue, vivid red and expressive black calligraphy creates a spectacular visual impact, evoking both abstract art and the grand Baroque spirit celebrated by the artist.

More than a travel poster, this is a work that can hold its own as a true piece of wall art, while representing one of the most ambitious collaborations between contemporary art and commercial design in post-war France.