This large poster is set high above eye-level on platform one of the Aigle train station. It resides at the far end of the station; prominently placed so that incoming passengers can easily read it from their seated positions on the train. Clearly informed by Early Swiss Posters as well as the Early Swiss Travel Poster, this work combines two movements in a unique and interesting way. The early swiss influence is seen within the artwork; with it's very distinct Japanese Ukyio-e print-like quality while bold colors and clean type work together to make a crisp and easily readable design. The work shows it's roots in the Early Swiss Travel Poster with it's simplicity of design, use of rich color, and depiction of the destination. Finally, some influences of the international style can be seen in the sans-serif typeface and strong grid.
The main concept for the work is to attract attention and get the public interested in the city's castle; Chateau D' Aigle. The poster is very straightforward in it's goal.... Attract attention and inform the viewer of the location. The visuals have a look of being produced via woodblock printing, but more than likely the illustration was drafted in a computer. Because the work is so incredibly large, it draws attention from 55 feet with it's stark colors and elegant simplicity. From 5 feet, the viewer would have to stand immediately below and gaze upward, yet there are still some details that come to the foreground through closer inspection, such as the soft shadows and tiles on the roofs. Viewing from 5 inches is an impossibility with this particular poster, as it's function is to be read and viewed from afar.
What attracted me to it was the incredibly simple nature of the illustration. Though the actual castle has much more detail and interest (Qualities that could have easily been reproduced for the poster) The artist chose to create something clean and polished, which would seem to be much more successful than a detailed drafting, considering the poster's location and intended viewing audience. I've had my eye out for posters of the Early Swiss influence and hadn't had any luck until I finally looked up one day at the train station and realized that it had been staring me in the face for almost two weeks now. I would say that through it's contrast in style to the surrounding posters, this work is quite successful in drawing attention and accomplishing it's goal of bringing visitors to the castle.