"Exposition Kisling au Japon", Original Japanese Exhibition Poster 1975, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q179

This is an original Japanese horizontal B2 exhibition poster printed in 1975 for Exposition Kisling au Japon, an official Japanese retrospective devoted to the celebrated École de Paris painter Moïse Kisling (1891–1953). The poster reproduces one of Kisling’s best-known sensual images, Nu brun étendu sur un sofa ou Portrait d’Arletty (1933), and is a particularly elegant example of Japanese museum and exhibition design from the period.

Background
Moïse Kisling was one of the central painters associated with the School of Paris, admired for his distinctive portraits, nudes, and still lifes, and for a style that combined decorative richness with a highly polished figural elegance. By the 1970s, Japanese interest in European modernism and interwar Parisian painting had grown considerably, and exhibition posters of this type were produced not merely as advertisements, but as refined display pieces in their own right.

This 1975 poster was issued for the Japanese exhibition Exposition Kisling au Japon, and the featured painting is Kisling’s 1933 portrait of Arletty, the iconic French actress and model. The sheet therefore has strong appeal not only for collectors of exhibition posters, but also for those interested in French modern art, École de Paris material, and Japanese graphic promotion for museum culture.

Poster design
The composition is both restrained and sophisticated. The upper two-thirds of the poster is dominated by a high-quality reproduction of Kisling’s reclining nude, showing Arletty stretched across a floral-covered daybed, her body set against a richly patterned dark textile background. The contrast between her pale, sculptural form and the brooding drapery behind her gives the image its unmistakable sensual and decorative power.

Below, the clean white lower panel provides a refined modernist counterbalance to the painting. At left appears the exhibition title in crisp blue typography: “EXPOSITION AU JAPON, 1975”. To the right, an oversized facsimile of Kisling’s signature in bold blue script acts as both branding and graphic anchor. Along the lower right margin, small printed text identifies the painting as “NU BRUN ÉTENDU SUR UN SOFA OU PORTRAIT D’ARLETTY 1933”. Fine design details such as “Poster Series No. 3” and “Tobi Design” further reinforce the poster’s identity as a carefully conceived exhibition piece rather than a generic reproduction.

For collectors, that is a major part of the appeal: this is not simply an image of a painting, but a period Japanese exhibition poster that reflects the understated sophistication of 1970s museum design.

Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 51 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.