Henri Desmé FIFA / Coupe du Monde (Extremely rare vintage poster)
Caption Brief: "Cast in bronze against a watercolor rainbow, this lithographic tribute to the sport of soccer makes it clear in a single glance that there is but one sporting event capable of dominating the globe. The placement of the ball under the colossus's foot leads the viewer's eye directly to the 1938 host country, France. Sixteen nations qualified for the 1938 World Cup, but Austria withdrew after its annexation by the Nazi regime in March of that year, bringing the total number of teams down to fifteen" (The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 116).
1938
61¾ h × 44¾ w in (157 × 114 cm)
Imprimerie J.E. Goossens, Lille and Paris
Provenance: Collection of William Crouse
Exhibited: Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration, 31 August 2025 - 29 March 2026, Sarasota Art Museum, Florida
Condition: Cond B/B+: with minor tears, losses, overpainting, repaired fold lines with adhesive strips to verso, and areas of discoloration. Work has not been examined out of frame but is fully visible. Framed behind acrylic measuring 67.75 × 51.75 × 1.5 inches.
Literature: The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 116
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Caption Brief: "Cast in bronze against a watercolor rainbow, this lithographic tribute to the sport of soccer makes it clear in a single glance that there is but one sporting event capable of dominating the globe. The placement of the ball under the colossus's foot leads the viewer's eye directly to the 1938 host country, France. Sixteen nations qualified for the 1938 World Cup, but Austria withdrew after its annexation by the Nazi regime in March of that year, bringing the total number of teams down to fifteen" (The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 116).
1938
61¾ h × 44¾ w in (157 × 114 cm)
Imprimerie J.E. Goossens, Lille and Paris
Provenance: Collection of William Crouse
Exhibited: Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration, 31 August 2025 - 29 March 2026, Sarasota Art Museum, Florida
Condition: Cond B/B+: with minor tears, losses, overpainting, repaired fold lines with adhesive strips to verso, and areas of discoloration. Work has not been examined out of frame but is fully visible. Framed behind acrylic measuring 67.75 × 51.75 × 1.5 inches.
Literature: The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 116
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
