Bernard Villemot

Bernard Villemot (1911, Trouville-sur-Mer – 2002 was a French graphic artist, known primarily for his advertising images for Orangina,^[1] Bally Shoe,^[2] Perrier, and Air France.

He was known for a sharp artistic vision that was influenced by photography,^[3] and for his ability to distill an advertising message to a memorable image with simple, elegant lines and bold colors.^[4]

From 1932 to 1934, Villemot studied in Paris with artist Paul Colin,^[5] who was considered a master of Art Deco.^[6]

From 1945 to 1946, Villemot prepared posters for the Red Cross.^[5] In the late 1940s, he also began a famous series of travel posters for Air France that would continue for decades.^[5] In 1949, Villemot's works were exhibited with those of his contemporary poster artist Raymond Savignac at the gallery of the Beaux-Arts de Paris.^[5]

In 1953, Villemot began designing logos and posters for the new soft drink Orangina, and over time these works would become some of his best known.^[5] In 1963, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris held an exhibition of his works.^[5] By the end of his life, he was known as one of the last great poster artists,^[4] and many collectors and critics consider him to be the "painter-laureate of modern commercial art."^[7]

Since Villemot's death, his memorable images have been increasingly sought after by collectors.^[8] At least three books have been published that survey his art: Les affiches de Villemot by Jean-Francois Bazin (1985); Villemot: l'affiche de A à Z by Guillaume Villemot (2005);^[5] and Embracing an Icon: The Posters of Bernard Villemot by George H. Bon Salle (2015).^[9]