ALBERTO BIANCHI (1882-1969) CROISIERES / ITALIA COSULICH. Circa 1935. 37 1/4x24 3/4 inches, 94 1/4x63 cm. Gros Monti & Co., Torino. Condition B+: minor tears and tape stains in margins; creases throughout; pin holes in corners. Paper. During the 1920s and 1930s, Bianchi was a book illustrator and poster designer, with the majority of his imagery focusing on beautiful women. "One of the outstanding features of the Italian Line schedules was the cruises, especially after the entry into service of the superliners Rex and Conte di Savoia in 1932; after the abrupt decline in the number of emigrants allowed to enter the United States, a new Tourist Class took the place of the old Third, catering above all for the growing American middle class and those who could not afford a First Class ticket but wanted to travel as tourists to the Old World in sufficient dignity and comfort . . . The Italian liners were now beginning their transformation into cruise ships: the voyage became a holiday rather than a mere necessity" (http://www.italianliners.com/italia-flotte-riunite-en). Many other highly-regarded Italian poster designers worked on images promoting these cruises, including Marcello Dudovich, Gino Boccasile, Erberto Carboni, Xanti Schawinsky and others. This is the French version.
