Visitez La Vallée D’Aoste poster – Visit the Aosta Valley poster
This is one of the most popular and famous vintage Italian travel posters by one of Italy’s most popular and famous artists. The fabulous poster is titled ‘Visitez la Vallée D”Aosta’ and it was created by the artist Gino Boccasile in 1950. It was published by the Aoste Tourist Board known as Bureau Regional du Tourisme Aoste. It is one of the artist’s most sought-after posters by poster aficionados and depicts two adventurous mountain climbers standing on the top of a hill in the Italian Alps.
The glamourous couple, are equipped with ropes, pickaxes and sunglasses to help with the climb. The pair are smiling happily suggesting they have reached the summit of the mountain they are climbing. They are enjoying a short break and soaking up some of the sun’s warm rays before beginning the descent. The Vallée d’Aoste Alps region of northwest Italy is bordered by France and Switzerland known for the iconic mountain peaks of the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso. Which of the mountains Boccasile chose to depict is unclear.
The hikers, decked out in stylish hat and brightly coloured gear, strike poses that are both elegant and alluring. Boccasile has portrayed the mountaineers with all the chic coolness of 1950s film stars. If the two characters were Gina Lollobrigida and Tony Curtis, this poster wouldn’t be more Hollywood. Although the walkers have climbed high into the Italian alpine countryside, the snow-covered Mont Blanc mountain still looms large, towering above them in the background. Just like the resort of Vallée D’Aoste this vintage travel poster is an absolute gem.
Gino Boccasile the famous Italian travel poster artist
Gino Baccasille was born in Bari in Italy in 1901, Boccasile became a renowned illustrator and poster artist. At the age of 24 he moved to Milan and started work at a publishing house set up by Achille Mauzan and Angelo Morzenti, known as the Mauzan-Morzenti Agency. Over the next few years, Boccasile produced posters and illustrated fashion magazines, gaining a reputation for his work and his sensuous renderings of the female form.
Within a couple of years, Boccasile’s mentor and teacher, Mauzin moved to Buenos Aires and set up a new design agency and publishing house “Affiches Mauzan” (Mauzan Posters) where many of his some 2000 posters and many of his greatest poster designs were created. Mauzan went with him. in 1932, Boccasile moved to Paris for a short while before returning to Milan where he opened his own publicity studio, ACTA. It was here Boccasile found his real creative outlet, providing many illustrations for several Italian periodicals such as “La Donna”,”Dea”, and “La Lettura” and later “Bertoldo”, and “L’Illustrazione del Medico”. He also designed many book covers for publishers Mondadori and Rizzoli.
His political views and allegiance to his fascist government saw Boccasile produce recruitment posters and propaganda material for Benito Mussolini’s government. According to his profile page on Wikipedia, after the war, Boccasile was imprisoned and tried for collaborating with the fascists. Though acquitted, he remained an outcast and couldn’t find work for several years as his notoriety was feared by prospective employers.
He supported himself briefly by doing pornographic sketches for English and French publishers, and by 1946, after changing his style, Boccasile was back at work. He set up his own agency in Milan where he created memorable posters for Paglieri cosmetics, Chlorodont toothpaste, Iperchina liquors and Zenith footwear.
Where can I buy a Gino Boccasile Vallée D’Aoste poster
Vintage travel posters can be incredibly valuable. For example, an LMS railway poster titled ‘Best Way’ by the artist AM Cassandre sold at auction for $162,500 way back in 2012. That was exceptional and an auction record for any travel poster. But many vintage travel posters range from £2000 to £25,000 and sometimes more.
There are several reasons that posters vary so much in value. In almost all cases, the condition of the poster is the most significant factor. A poster that is in mint condition will be worth more than one that is damaged or faded. In other cases, the value is due to the subject matter of the poster. Posters advertising famous or popular destinations are often highly sought-after, as are those created by iconic poster artists. Finally, rarity can also play a role in determining value. A poster that is one of a kind will obviously be worth more than one that was mass-produced. Ultimately, there is no single factor that determines the value of a vintage poster. Rather, it is a combination of all of these factors that makes some posters more valuable than others.
For anybody that wants to begin their own poster collection, they could do worse than buying original Gino Boccasile lithographic prints. His posters tend to be offered at auction in a price bracket as low as £300-400 for posters such as his Bantam, Cervo Hat, Montecatini Chemical and Italian Lottery posters. Other, more popular posters such as his 1950 Bardi Liqueur, 1954 Sestrieres and 1939 Irradio posters that rise in value to between £4000 to £6000. Original copies of the Vallée D’Aoste poster on this listing falls somewhere in between, selling for around £2,500 in 2022.
There’s no argument from us, if you can find an original copy and can afford to buy it, you’re on to a winner. There’s nothing like owning an vintage original poster and they often make a great investment. Chances are in just a few years you’ll be able to sell it on for more than you paid for it. Unfortunately, for most of us, an investment at this level isn’t even close to being a possibility. This is where our stunning high-quality reproductions come into their own. They cost a fraction of an original and look absolutely fantastic when they’re framed and hung on your living room wall.
Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears, or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.
The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £15. So you can bag a bargain of print and frame for a great price.
