Roger Broders’ Winter Sports in the Vosges, created in 1930, presents the French mountain region as a crisp, animated theatre of snow. A dark-clad skier sweeps through the foreground, leaning into the descent as slender poles and curving tracks establish a strong sense of movement. Beyond this emphatic figure, smaller groups gather across the white slopes beneath blue-grey mountains and snow-covered trees. The scene is contained by a bold red border, whose warmth sharpens the cool blues, whites and pale yellow light within.

Broders was closely associated with the stylish railway and resort posters of interwar France, transforming destinations into concise visual propositions: sun, sea, mountains, architecture or fashionable recreation, distilled through simplified shapes and assured colour. Here the Vosges becomes a modern winter playground, promoted through the graphic economy associated with Art Deco design. The poster belongs to an era in which expanding rail travel helped to present regional landscapes as accessible places of leisure, while sporting figures supplied a persuasive image of vitality, sociability and escape.

A closer look

The foreground skier provides the composition with its decisive accent. Rendered largely in black with small white details, the figure stands out sharply against the pale slope, the forward-tilting body echoed by the angle of the skis and poles. Broders does not labour the surface of the snow with naturalistic detail. Instead, gentle tonal shifts and a few curved tracks are enough to describe its contours, directing the eye from the skier towards the activity scattered across the middle distance.

At the lower right, a group of winter visitors introduces a more leisurely counterpoint. Some carry skis, while the outline of a sled reinforces the range of recreation on offer. Their upright silhouettes contrast with the speed and diagonal energy of the principal skier. Farther away, reduced figures punctuate the open snowfield, giving the landscape scale without disturbing its clean graphic structure. The progression from large, sharply defined foreground forms to small figures and hazier mountain ridges creates depth with remarkable economy.

Across the upper portion, the title “WINTER SPORTS IN THE VOSGES” appears in bold sans-serif capitals. Its directness matches the simplified landscape below: both typography and illustration communicate at a glance. Snow-laden trees at the upper left form a dark, irregular cluster against the softer mountains, while light yellow passages temper the predominantly cool palette. Broders’ signature, discreetly placed at the lower right, becomes another small linear element within the carefully ordered design.

Context and significance

Travel posters of this period had to perform several tasks simultaneously. They identified a destination, caught the attention of passers-by and compressed the experience of travel into a memorable arrangement of colour and form. Broders proved particularly adept at this kind of visual condensation. Rather than providing a topographical record of the Vosges, he selects the elements most useful to its appeal: clear snow, rolling terrain, distant peaks and people actively enjoying the landscape.

The result balances atmosphere with promotion. Soft blue mountains and diffuse winter light suggest tranquillity, while the skiers, sleds and strong diagonals keep the design buoyant and energetic. Winter Sports in the Vosges remains compelling because it makes recreation itself part of the landscape: the human figures do not merely occupy the snow, but give its slopes rhythm, direction and scale.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.

Framed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.