Cafés Chocolats L. Voisin c.1935 by J. Saunier – Elegant Art Deco Coffee & Chocolate Advertising Poster

Cafés Chocolats L. Voisin – Striking Art Deco Advertising by J. Saunier

Bring the bold sophistication of 1930s French graphic design to your kitchen or café space with Cafés Chocolats L. Voisin, a dramatic 1935 advertising poster signed by illustrator J. Saunier. Created for the historic Lyon retailer L. Voisin, the composition promotes coffee and chocolate through a highly stylized server, an elegant green cup, and exceptionally modern typography.

Against a nearly solid black background, a smiling Black server appears in profile while balancing a long white tray upon one hand. A bright-green cup and saucer rest perfectly at the center, their angular outlines and contrasting orange details creating a crisp geometric focal point.

The figure wears a green-and-white striped head covering and matching scarf. Sweeping dark forms extend behind the head, introducing movement while merging into the black background. This simplified treatment of shape, shadow, and color gives the composition a streamlined quality associated with interwar Art Deco advertising.

Golden-yellow lettering announces “Cafés Chocolats,” while the monumental lime-green L. VOISIN name anchors the bottom. The repeated use of green visually connects the brand, the server’s attire, and the cup into one unified commercial identity. Saunier’s signed date, 1935, remains visible on the lower-left side.

The poster is a strong example of Art Deco branding, but its racialized service imagery also reflects colonial-era advertising conventions that positioned Black figures as exotic servants or symbols of imported commodities. It can therefore be understood as both a sophisticated graphic design and a revealing artifact of the social attitudes embedded in historic European advertising.

Why Collectors Value This Print

• Signed and dated 1935 by J. Saunier
• Historic advertisement for L. Voisin
• Promotes both coffee and chocolate
• Connected with the French city of Lyon
• Strong example of interwar Art Deco design
• Elegant green cup provides a geometric focal point
• Dramatic black background creates exceptional contrast
• Bold yellow and lime-green typography
• Limited palette gives the poster a modern appearance
• Represents the history of French café culture
• Suitable for thoughtful advertising-art collections
• Distinctive décor for kitchens and coffee bars
• Visually striking addition to cafés and restaurants
• Preserves both the artistry and social complexity of its era
• Museum-grade reproduction from Yesterday’s Posters

Available Print & Display Options

• Fine Art Prints
• Framed Fine Art Prints
• Gallery-Wrapped Canvas
• Black Floater Frame Canvas
• White Floater Frame Canvas
• Brown Floater Frame Canvas
• Natural Floater Frame Canvas
• Metal Prints

Choose an unframed fine-art print for traditional presentation or select a framed print, gallery-wrapped canvas, floater-frame canvas, or metal print for a bold, ready-to-display beverage-art centerpiece.

Artwork Details

• Title: Cafés Chocolats L. Voisin
• Artist: J. Saunier
• Date: 1935
• Country of Origin: France
• Associated City: Lyon, France
• Historic Brand: L. Voisin
• Products Advertised: Coffee and chocolate
• Original Language: French
• Subject: Stylized server presenting a green cup and saucer
• Notable Imagery: Serving tray, striped head covering, green cup, profile portrait, and monumental branding
• Style: Art Deco, vintage French advertising, interwar graphic design
• Primary Colors: Black, lime green, golden yellow, white, orange, and deep brown
• Mood: Sophisticated, theatrical, streamlined, and historically complex
• Recommended Spaces: Kitchens, coffee stations, cafés, restaurants, bakeries, dining rooms, libraries, and commercial-art collections

Disclaimer

This artwork is a Museum Grade Reproduction of a Historical advertising poster.

This decorative reproduction is not an original antique lithograph. Minor differences in color, texture, scale, and cropping may occur among the available materials and display formats.

This historical advertisement contains an outdated racial stereotype rooted in colonial-era European service imagery. It is reproduced as a document of graphic-design, advertising, and social history—not as an endorsement of the stereotype or the attitudes it represents. Yesterday’s Posters rejects racism and discrimination in all forms.

Yesterday’s Posters is an independent seller and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by L. Voisin, Chocolats Voisin, J. Saunier’s estate, or any associated rights holders.