Swiss Grand Prix for Automobiles – Berne

About this poster

The first Bern Grand Prix car race took place in 1934 on the Bremgarten circuit. The winner was the German Hans Stuck, heralding a new era in racing dominated by the German “Silver Arrow” race cars. The poster for the 1934 Grand Prix was commissioned from the as-yet unknown graphic designer Kaspar Ernst Graf from Bern. Graf drew inspiration from the Italian futurists for his design, creating a masterpiece of Art Deco: the close chase between the stylised cars, a red Maserati and a Bugatti, the glimpse of the Bern Minster tower and the Bernese Oberland mountains in the background, and the dynamic use of the colours grey, blue and red give this poster a highly dramatic effect.