Calvi Beach, Corsica, circa 1932 - Roger Broders - Framed art Print

Roger Broders (1883-1953) was a French illustrator and artist best known for French Art Deco travel posters. He began his career in the early 20th century with fashion and travel illustrations for Parisian periodicals, and became a painter and book illustrator by the 1950s. However, his work between 1920 and 1933, at the pinnacle of the Art Deco movement, is considered his most memorable.

During this period, Broders' main client was the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée Railway (PLM), for whom he produced 65 posters promoting locations along their route from Paris to the Côte d’Azur via southeast France. He also created poster designs for other rail networks such as the Alsace and Lorraine Railway, Chemins de Fer de l’Etat, Indian State Railways, London, Midland & Scottish Railway, and Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway.

Out of less than 100 total designs, just 13 deviated from the travel theme. While his landscapes gained broad acclaim, his most sought-after pieces depict people, particularly stylish couples, as seen in his Vogue and La Gazette du Bon Ton artwork.

Broders' posters are more than just pleasing visuals; they showcase his masterful graphic design skills. They reveal his deft ability to juxtapose depth, colour, light, and shadow to emphasise and define different parts of the image.