Wallis Schweiz Vintage Travel Poster – Erich Hermès – 1933
If you have been lucky enough to have ever visited the Valais region of Switzerland, you will know that it is home to some of the most beautiful, unique, and diverse landscapes in the world, making this poster a perfect choice for you, as a reminder of your visit there!
The canton of Valais, or Wallis as it is better known in Germany, offers some of Switzerland’s most beautiful, unique, and diverse landscapes. Valais has a landscape that is characterised by sprawling valleys, lush forests, crystal clear lakes, and breathtaking glaciers. And, of course, the craggy Valais canton is home to the majestic, pyramid-shaped mountain, the Matterhorn.
The poster was produced by the Office du Tourisme, Suisse in 1933, with the artwork being illustrated by the Swiss artist, Eric Hermès. It is one of his most famous works. His posters are characterised by its use of bold colors and strong lines often focusing on the slow pace of life in rural France. In this Wallis poster, he has depicted a local woman in traditional clothing. She is seen returning home carrying the week’s shopping – a basket of bread. The shopping trip along the narrow winding path through the upper regions of the valley is safely undertaken by her faithful and sure-footed mule.
Hermès’s image captures the rural beauty of the Wallis landscape with the Matterhorn as the poster’s impressive backdrop. The poster portrays a simple, rural lifestyle that has remained largely unchanged for centuries.
The original lithographic prints were produced in three different languages, Suisse, English and German. This is a superb reproduction of the German language version.
Whilst not a prolific poster artist, Hermes designed around a dozen posters promoting travel to his native Switzerland and his work is both popular and sought-after by poster collectors. Having said that, original copies of this poster currently (2020) realise prices of between £1,000-£2,000. Which in today’s poster collecting world is a bit of a bargain.
Erich Hermes Winter in Switzerland poster artist
Eric Hermès was born on the 18th January 1881 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany. In 1899 he moved to Geneva where he enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts during which time he became a Swiss citizen.
From 1909, Hermès completed several paintings, sculptures, and bas-reliefs for many public institutions in Geneva, and in 1911 had his first solo exhibition at the Musée Rath in Geneva.
During the First World War, Hermès moved to Vérossaz in Valais. Here he travelled a lot around the canton and painted views of the mountain pastures and portraits of farmers.
From 1929, he gained a reputation as a poster artist with the creation of more than 20 tourist and advertising posters. Some of his most popular posters include his mountain trekker poster for Grand Vin Valaian Montibeux, his cigar-smoking mountain of a man for Cigars Valaisans Von Der Mühll Sion, and his two ski-related travel posters for Winter in Switzerland.
Where can I buy an Eric Hermès Valais Switzerland Vintage Travel 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.
As previously mentioned. original copies of this Wallis Schweiz poster go for around £1,500 at auction.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 original vintage 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.
So if you are looking for a stunning reminder of your time in Valais, Switzerland, you’ve found it! Our posters are printed on to premium 300gsm high quality, silk art paper and with our fast turnaround and delivery, they can be with you in just a few days. Order yours today, you won’t be disappointed!
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.
