Razzia: The Art of the Modern Poster

Gérard Courbouleix-Dénériaz and the Revival of Art Deco in Luxury Advertising

There are few contemporary graphic artists whose work is so closely associated with the visual language of luxury travel, fashion and the golden age of illustrated advertising as Razzia. Born Gérard Courbouleix-Dénériaz in France in 1950, the artist has developed a distinctive identity through posters that combine the elegance of Art Deco, the energy of modern commercial imagery and the craftsmanship of traditional illustration.

His compositions are immediately recognisable: confident silhouettes, architectural perspectives, sophisticated colour combinations and a particular sense of movement. From luxury travel campaigns to sporting events, department stores and Champagne advertising, Razzia has created a body of work that demonstrates how commercial art can become an enduring part of visual culture.

From Photography to the Art of the Poster

Razzia began his professional career in photography, working within the music industry. This early experience provided an understanding of composition, atmosphere and the relationship between an image and its audience.

In 1979, he created his first graphic work from a photographic session. The project led to the publication of his images in international fashion magazines and marked the beginning of his development as a graphic artist.

Rather than following the increasingly digital direction of commercial design, Razzia became particularly interested in the tradition of the illustrated advertising poster. His approach retained the idea of the artist as the creator of an original image, rather than simply the designer of a commercial layout.

His posters are conceived through original artwork, often painted before being reproduced in printed form. This method gives his compositions a distinctive visual character, preserving the individuality of the artist's hand and the qualities of traditional poster-making.

An Art Deco Vocabulary for a New Generation

The visual language of Razzia draws upon the great tradition of European poster art, particularly the graphic sophistication of the Art Deco period.

The influence of earlier masters such as A. M. Cassandre and Leonetto Cappiello can be recognised in the emphasis on simplified forms, strong composition and the ability to communicate an entire atmosphere through a carefully constructed image.

However, Razzia's work is not simply a nostalgic recreation of the 1920s and 1930s. He reinterprets these principles for a contemporary luxury audience.

His figures are often elegant and stylised, his architectural settings carefully composed, and his use of colour deliberately controlled. Whether depicting a fashionable destination, a sporting occasion or a luxury product, he creates an image that is both immediately communicative and visually sophisticated.

This combination of historical reference and contemporary sensibility became central to his identity as an artist.

Louis Vuitton: A Defining Creative Relationship

One of the most important chapters in Razzia's career began in 1985, when he started working with Louis Vuitton.

The collaboration developed into an extensive series of posters for the Maison's international events and prestigious initiatives, including the Art of Travel campaigns and automotive concours d'élégance.

Travel was particularly suited to his visual imagination. The world of Louis Vuitton provided a natural setting for the artist's interests in architecture, movement, transport and refined leisure.

His compositions frequently combined vintage automobiles, elegant figures, landscapes and the visual codes of international travel. The result was advertising that communicated the spirit of the Maison without relying solely on its products.

The relationship continued over many years. In 2000, Razzia created the original painting used as the model for the Louis Vuitton Classic poster associated with the concours d'élégance at Rockefeller Center in New York. The painting was subsequently sold at Bonhams in June 2024 for CHF 6,400, demonstrating the continuing interest in his original artistic work.

The collaboration with Louis Vuitton remains one of the most recognisable aspects of his career and an important part of the history of luxury-house advertising.

Deauville, Champagne and the World of Luxury

Beyond Louis Vuitton, Razzia worked with a diverse group of prestigious clients, developing images for fashion, hospitality, sporting events and international brands.

His commissions included the City of Deauville, Harrods, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Stetson, Lancia Automobiles and several Champagne houses.

His poster for the 1984 French Open at Roland-Garros is another notable example of his ability to translate a sporting event into a sophisticated graphic composition.

Deauville, with its associations with seaside elegance, racing, fashion and French leisure culture, was particularly compatible with his aesthetic. His work for the destination reflects an understanding of place as a visual identity: a combination of architecture, lifestyle and atmosphere.

Champagne advertising offered another natural territory. The product's associations with celebration, hospitality and refined social occasions provided a subject that could be expressed through his characteristic combination of elegance and graphic clarity.

In these commissions, the commercial purpose of the image never entirely overwhelms its artistic character.

The Harrods Connection: An Illustration of an Era

Razzia's association with Harrods is particularly interesting within the context of British retail history.

During the 1980s, luxury department stores continued to invest in distinctive visual identities, using commissioned illustration and printed catalogues to communicate their seasonal collections and commercial personality.

A Harrods Christmas and Winter shopping catalogue from 1986, featuring an illustrated cover by Razzia, brings together two complementary aspects of the period: the international reputation of London's most famous department store and the renewed interest in sophisticated poster art.

The cover is a reminder of a time when seasonal retail publications could also serve as carefully considered graphic objects. Rather than relying exclusively on product photography, a department store could commission an artist to create an image that communicated the atmosphere of an entire shopping season.

Such publications now provide valuable material for collectors interested in the history of luxury retail, advertising illustration and the graphic culture of the 1980s.

The Collectability of Razzia

Razzia's work occupies an interesting position between commercial design and fine art.

His original paintings, printed posters and commissioned advertising images appeal to different collecting audiences: enthusiasts of Art Deco, collectors of vintage advertising, admirers of luxury-house collaborations and those interested in the history of travel and sporting imagery.

The distinction between an original painting, an original period poster and a later reproduction is important when assessing individual works. Authorship, printing technique, edition, signature, provenance and condition all contribute to their documentary and collecting interest.

His continued use of traditional artistic processes also gives his work a particular significance within the history of graphic communication. At a time when commercial imagery is increasingly created through digital production, his posters preserve the relationship between the artist's original composition and the final printed image.