Lot 2303: TRAVEL BRUSSELS EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE 1935 ART DECO

Original vintage advertising poster for the Bruxelles Exposition Universelle 1935 - the World Fair (Universal Exposition) held in Heysel near Brussels from 27 April to 6 November. Art Deco design by Leo Marfurt (1894-1977) featuring Atlas holding a globe in front of a coloured shield against a black background. Officially sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions, twenty-five countries officially participated and a further five were unofficially represented. The theme was colonization, on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Congo Free State. The expo attracted some twenty million visitors. Belgian architect Joseph van Neck was the principal architect of the fair and of the Art Deco Palais des Expositions (also known as the Grand Palais), with its interior concrete parabolic arches, and four heroic bronze statues on piers. Among many other contributors, Le Corbusier designed part of the French exhibit; the Belgian modernist architect, Victor Bourgeois, designed the Grand Palace, the Leopold II Restaurant and the Soprocol Pavilion. The Belgian art exposition prominently displayed the work of contemporary Belgian artists, including Paul Delvaux, René Magritte and Louis Van Lint, boosting their careers. The Palais des Expositions, and at least three other of the 1935 structures, were re-used for Expo '58 which was held at the same site in 1958. Good condition, repaired tear, small tears, creasing. Country: Belgium, year of printing: 1935, designer: Leo Marfurt, size (cm): 100x62