# Bernard Villemot artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/bernard-villemot/ Profile generated: 2026-04-30T08:50:31.760Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1911-09-20 - Nationality: French - Movements: Mid-century commercial poster art - Common media: lithographic poster, graphic design, illustration ## About Bernard Villemot Bernard Villemot (1911–1989) was a French graphic artist and poster designer celebrated for his bold, colorful advertising imagery. Born in Trouville, France, he studied at the Académie Julian in Paris before training under the influential poster artist Paul Colin at his private academy. Villemot later became a professor at the École des Arts Décoratifs. He is best known for iconic advertising posters created for Air France, Orangina, Perrier, Bally Shoe, and Cinzano, among many other brands. His distinctive style combined elegant linework with vibrant, flat color fields, placing him among the most recognizable commercial artists of mid-twentieth-century France. His travel posters for Air France and tourism campaigns are particularly sought after by collectors today. Villemot's work bridges the Art Deco poster tradition of the early 1900s and the modern graphic design sensibility that emerged after World War II. ## Common works and media Villemot's output spans original lithographic posters, advertising illustrations, and commercial graphic design. Common formats include large-format travel posters for Air France routes, beverage advertising posters for Orangina, Perrier, and Cinzano, fashion advertisements for Bally Shoe, and public-service campaign posters. His works are typically encountered as color lithographs on paper, often in standard poster dimensions. Later reprints and authorized reproductions of his iconic images circulate widely alongside original vintage printings. ## Market and appraisal context Bernard Villemot's original lithographic posters form an established and liquid auction market spanning over two decades of recorded sales (2002–2026). Appraisily's auction index tracks 783 total lots, of which 423 carry realized prices. The price distribution is broad but right-skewed: observed prices range from approximately $50 to $13,500 USD, with a median near $650 and an interquartile range of roughly $300–$1,300. The strongest prices are associated with Air France travel posters and Orangina advertising images from the 1950s and 1960s, while later campaigns (1970s–1980s Bally, Perrier, and lesser-known brands) tend to trade in the lower hundreds. Major poster-specialist auction houses dominate the market: Poster Auctions International, Swann Auction Galleries, and The Ross Art Group are the most frequent sellers, with occasional appearances at Christie's, Aste Bolaffi, and regional French houses (Camard et associés, Mirabaud-Mercier, Limoges Enchères). Auction volume has moderated recently: 14 lots in the trailing 12 months versus 37 in the prior 12-month period, suggesting the market may be in a cooling or consolidation phase rather than rapid expansion. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence Bernard Villemot's original lithographic posters form an established and liquid auction market spanning over two decades of recorded sales (2002–2026). Appraisily's auction index tracks 783 total lots, of which 423 carry realized prices. The price distribution is broad but right-skewed: observed prices range from approximately $50 to $13,500 USD, with a median near $650 and an interquartile range of roughly $300–$1,300. The strongest prices are associated with Air France travel posters and Orangina advertising images from the 1950s and 1960s, while later campaigns (1970s–1980s Bally, Perrier, and lesser-known brands) tend to trade in the lower hundreds. Major poster-specialist auction houses dominate the market: Poster Auctions International, Swann Auction Galleries, and The Ross Art Group are the most frequent sellers, with occasional appearances at Christie's, Aste Bolaffi, and regional French houses (Camard et associés, Mirabaud-Mercier, Limoges Enchères). Auction volume has moderated recently: 14 lots in the trailing 12 months versus 37 in the prior 12-month period, suggesting the market may be in a cooling or consolidation phase rather than rapid expansion. ### Appraisal notes When appraising a Villemot poster, Appraisily draws on these 783 indexed auction records to identify comparable lots by campaign (Air France, Orangina, Perrier, Bally, etc.), decade, size, and condition. The appraiser should supplement auction comps with high-resolution photographs showing color saturation, paper condition, edge integrity, and any linen-backing or restoration. Edition details are critical: first-printing lithographs from the 1950s–1960s command a significant premium over later reissues and authorized reproductions. Dimensions, signature presence and position, printer's imprint, and any gallery or collection provenance stamps should be documented. The broad price dispersion (p25 at $300, p75 at $1,300) means that small differences in condition, edition, and campaign can shift value by a factor of three or more, making professional appraisal particularly important for this artist. ### Valuation factors - Condition: folding creases, edge tears, color fading, paper toning, and any linen-backing or conservation treatment are the single largest driver of price variation within a given campaign. - Edition and printing: first-printing original lithographs from the 1950s–1960s are substantially more valuable than later reissues, authorized reproductions, or 'after Villemot' decorative prints. - Campaign and brand: Air France travel posters and Orangina advertising images attract the strongest collector demand and highest realized prices; lesser-known brands (Cross & Blackwell, Contrex, Eugénie les Bains) trade at the lower end. - Period: works from the 1950s and 1960s in Villemot's characteristic bold, flat-color palette are most sought after; 1970s–1980s campaigns tend to be less scarce and lower-priced. - Size and format: large-format travel posters (typically approaching or exceeding one meter on the long side) generally carry a premium over smaller formats or trimmed examples. - Attribution: lots catalogued as 'after Villemot' or described as decorative prints on linen (rather than original lithographic posters) trade at substantial discounts and should be clearly distinguished. - Currency and geographic market: prices vary by auction house locale (USD at US poster specialists, EUR at French regional houses, GBP at UK salerooms, AUD at Australian houses), and cross-currency comparison requires care. ### Collector notes - Villemot's auction market is deep enough to provide reliable comparable data for most campaigns, but liquidity is concentrated in a handful of specialist poster auction houses (Poster Auctions International, Swann, Ross Art Group). Collectors buying at generalist or regional salerooms may find opportunities below specialist-market pricing, but should be vigilant about distinguishing original lithographic posters from later reproductions and 'after Villemot' decorative prints, which appear regularly in Australian and French provincial auctions at lower price points. The recent decline in auction volume (14 lots in the trailing year versus 37 the year prior) may reflect market softening or simply reduced consignment supply; in either case, buyers should not assume that current pricing will persist unchanged. For sellers, Air France and Orangina posters in excellent unrestored condition from the 1950s–1960s remain the most bankable material. Later Bally and Perrier posters are more common and should be priced conservatively unless in exceptional condition or documented first-printing status. ### Market caveats - Many recent lots are catalogued as 'after Villemot' or decorative prints on linen rather than original vintage lithographic posters; these are different market segments and should not be used as comps for original printings. - Realized prices are missing for a significant portion of tracked lots (423 of 783 carry prices), which may reflect buy-ins, post-sale private treaties, or reporting gaps, and introduces survivorship bias into the observed price distribution. - Prices are denominated in multiple currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, AUD); the reported min/median/max distribution from Appraisily's index should be treated as indicative rather than a single-currency comparable set. - Villemot's iconic images have been widely reproduced in poster-calendar, offset, and digital-print formats over several decades; authentication of a work as an original first-printing lithograph requires careful examination of paper stock, printer's marks, and lithographic characteristics. - The auction record spans 2002–2026, so older realized prices may not reflect current market conditions, particularly for the pre-2018 period. - Provenance documentation is typically thin for mid-century commercial posters, and many lots are sold without detailed condition reports or edition verification. ### Market evidence sources - Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/bernard-villemot/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0 - Invaluable / Poster Auctions International Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-bernard-villemot-air-france-french-riviera-vintage-poster-252-c-f004242a3f - Invaluable / The Ross Art Group, Inc: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-orangina-sun-original-vintage-poster-1982-original-by-bernard-villemot-58-c-be9444fbfb - Invaluable / Public Sale Auction House: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-bernard-villemot-bally-lotus-shoe-advertisement-poster-321-c-02182d67b6 - Invaluable / Ozbid Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-bernard-villemot-after-c-1911-1989-bally-decorative-art-print-on-linen-130cm-x-100cm-113-c-4ad458f844 - Invaluable / Ozbid Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-bernard-villemot-after-c-1911-1989-bally-decorative-art-print-on-linen-130cm-x-100cm-230-c-2e8453c9df ## Appraisily data basis This artist page combines identity research from library authority records, including the Library of Congress, VIAF, and RKD, with Appraisily's auction records. When available, sale dates, realized prices, comparable lots, and auction-house provenance data are incorporated to support collectors and appraisers evaluating Villemot works. ## Sources - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85310022 - RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/298065 - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2898728 - VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/51727414/ - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Villemot - Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500611429