Razzia feels like somebody who arrived several decades late and simply decided the golden age of illustrated advertising did not need to end.
Born Gérard Courbouleix-Dénériaz in Paris in 1950, he built a career around hand-painted poster imagery at exactly the point commercial advertising was moving increasingly towards photography and, later, digital production. That stubbornness is part of what makes the work so enjoyable.
Cars, Luggage, Travel and Glamour
Louis Vuitton is the name most collectors immediately associate with him, particularly the travel, motoring and concours imagery, but his clients have ranged across fashion, cars, champagne, department stores, restaurants and cultural events. There is a strong Art Deco echo in a lot of the work without it feeling like a simple pastiche.
We have handled a large number of Razzia posters, and they are one of those areas where collecting can get addictive quickly. The imagery is bold, the colours are great and a group of them together starts to build its own very particular world of cars, luggage, travel and slightly impossible glamour.
Because the work is comparatively recent, people sometimes assume ‘modern’ means reproduction. It does not. A poster can be an authentic original promotional issue from 1990, 2000 or 2010 just as a 1930s poster can be original to its campaign. The date simply needs to be described honestly.
Poster Spotlight
Louis Vuitton Bagatelle 2002 - Razzia
A Louis Vuitton concours poster showing the motoring and travel imagery collectors associate with Razzia most.
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Air France Concorde - Fly Me - Razzia
An airline commission, connecting Razzia's work to the golden-age travel poster tradition he draws on.
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US Open - Razzia
A sporting event poster, showing his range beyond luxury and travel clients.
View PosterA Note for Collectors
Identify the event or client, actual issue date and whether the poster was produced as part of the original campaign. Later decorative printings of Razzia imagery should be separated clearly from original promotional issues.
Explore More
Browse our Razzia collection and Travel Posters, or continue with our Poster History guide and framing guide.
Original Posters by Razzia
A live look at Razzia posters currently in the Printed Originals collection.
