Lorjou - Lorjou - Votez - 1960s

LORJOU – “Votez pour qui vous voudrez… mais votez” – Original French Political Poster – Centre d’Information Civique – c. 1960s

Original French civic poster designed by the renowned French artist Bernard Lorjou (1908–1986), created for the Centre d’Information Civique to encourage democratic participation and voter engagement.

This striking composition features three expressive stylised faces rendered in Lorjou’s characteristic bold, spontaneous brushwork, combining black contours with vivid red and blue accents — colours referencing the French national identity. The powerful message “Votez pour qui vous voudrez… mais votez” (“Vote for whoever you want… but vote”) reflects the civic awareness campaigns widely promoted in France during the post-war democratic period.

Artist

Bernard Lorjou was an important figure of post-war French Expressionism and co-founder of the anti-abstract movement L’Homme Témoin. His works are held in numerous French museum collections and are known for their raw energy and humanistic themes.

Details
• Artist: Bernard Lorjou
• Title: Votez pour qui vous voudrez… mais votez
• Publisher: Centre d’Information Civique
• Printer: Imprimerie Onisole, Morangis
• Country: France
• Period: circa 1960s
• Technique: Offset lithographic poster
• Dimensions: 79 × 59 cm
• Language: French
• Original vintage print (not a later reproduction)

Condition
• Good overall condition consistent with age
• Visible fold lines from original distribution
• Minor stains and handling marks
• Colours remain strong and vibrant
• Presented framed (frame included as protection)

(Please see photographs for full condition details.)

Historical context

The Centre d’Information Civique launched nationwide campaigns encouraging electoral participation during the Fifth Republic. Posters like this were displayed in public buildings, schools, and municipal spaces, making surviving originals increasingly collectible examples of French political graphic design.

Collector interest

Highly desirable for collectors of:
• Political posters
• French graphic design
• Post-war European art
• Expressionist illustration
• Vintage advertising and propaganda art

A visually powerful and historically relevant original poster combining art, politics, and mid-century French design.