The names Alex Diggelmann, Martin Peikert and Willy Trapp might not be well known, yet all three influenced the development of advertising in the first half of the 20th century...
Their classic ski poster designs, to be sold at Christie’s ‘Ski Sale’ in January, demonstrate that advertising can also be a form of art.
Making Verbier go viral the old-fashioned way
Forget browser popups and viral advertising – ad agencies of old relied on 2D work by talented artists to get their message across. This included those representing ski resorts such as Verbier and St Moritz, who would invite guests for a winter holiday through the medium of colourful art nouveau posters.
Artwork by an Olympic Gold Medallist
On 22 January 2015, Christie’s will hold its traditional ‘Ski Sale’, which comprises numerous examples of such posters promoting resorts in France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Norway and Australia, with a section dedicated to US and Canada. Of particular interest is the work of graphic artist Alex Diggelmann (Lot 18), which endorses the Swiss resort of Gstaad in Berner Oberland. Diggelmann won no fewer than three Olympic Medals for his posters, including gold in 1936 and silver in 1948: the last year in which art competitions formed part of the Olympics.
Photos: Christie's
Christie's 2015 Ski Sale takes place on 22 January 2015 in London. You can find the full catalogue online at the Christie's website.
