FRANCIS BERNARD TRAVEL WHILE SLEEPING 39x24 inches. Paul-Martial, Paris. Condition B+: minor tears and creases in margins. Framed. Although this poster is unsigned it has been attributed to Francis Bernard. Bernard was under contract with the printing house Paul-Martial, working extensively for them as their art director until the Second World War. The poster stylistically bears many of his trademark design elements including the photograph of the sleeping car within a circle. The route of the night train between Paris and London is symbolically outlined, with green halos of airbrush for the countryside and a splash of blue airbrush in the middle to represent the English Channel. The termini of the route are printed in white, horizontal lettering and the two harbors are depicted in asymetric red lettering. Following Cassandre's invention for his Etoile du Nord poster, Bernard puts the names of the different railways around the border of the poster. And he perfectly arranges the central slogan "leave, sleep and arrive in good shape" at both the top and the bottom.
