BARRETTE DE SURETE SAVIGNAC POSTER

At first glance, this looks to be a rather disturbing poster picturing a ghost-like man with a look of horror and surprise on his face as he falls through the floor.   But, on second glance, one sees that the artist is Raymond Savignac (known simply as “Savignac”), a master of the art of using humor to convey a message, and so perhaps this poster is not intended to be creepy but rather humorous.

Savignac produced this poster promoting workplace safety for the French building and public works organization, and its message is simple and effectively conveyed: if you forget to put up a safety bar (seen lying on the ground in front of the hapless man), then OOOPS you could fall through a hole in the floor or perhaps a gap in the window washer's platform or an opening in a catwalk above a stage -- all catastrophic events. 

This exaggerated result of being a bit forgetful or careless is intended to convey an important safety message in a funny but memorable way. And it does!  Anyone who enjoys using humor in a cautionary tale should own this poster as a reminder of how a master does this so effectively.  

Savignac (1907 - 2002) was born in Paris and lived in France his entire life.  Regarded  as one of the great poster artists of the modern era, he was artistically self-taught.  After starting his career working under the artist Cassandre, Savignac went on to develop a unique style all his own. His flat figures and lighthearted, sometimes silly images (as in this poster) were both charming and fresh, a perfect combination as advertising evolved to appeal to the masses. Critical of ads that lacked humor, he often made gentle fun of the products he was being paid to promote.  Certainly he used humor very effectively in this poster.  

This is a poster you will love owning.

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