The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is a tennis tournament organised by the French Tennis Federation annually at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The French Tennis Federation and the Roland-Garros Championships Committee began a long-standing relationship with contemporary art in 1980 when they sought to create a connection between the competitive Tennis world, and the competitive art world. They partnered with Galerie Lelong & Co. to commission artists from around the world to create inspiring posters for the event. The first artist selected to represent the Roland Garros in a visual format was Valerio Adami in 1980. Best known for his bold Pop-Art style, he paved the way for artists to visually interpret the rich history and drama of the Roland-Garros. The official posters of the Roland Garros have become a fascinating part of the history of the tournament, transforming it into a cultural symbol.
View our collection of Roland Garros posters below!
1983 Roland Garros Vladimir Velickovic Original Vintage Poster
Vladimir Velickovic was self-taught, interested in movement and specifically movement of the human body, this poster expresses the powerful athleticism of a tennis player in motion.
Jacques Monory captures the player ready to serve, pointing upwards to the year, 1985, signalling a moment in time.
Jiri Kolar was both a poet and and artist, in this poster for the 1986 Championship, Kolar combines his love of the written word with collage skills. The background features a map superimposed over tournament press clippings as a way of capturing the international nature of the sport.
Pierre Alechinsky used his fascination with Japanese calligraphy to create this graphically experimental image using thick black lines and bold colour, the image surrounded by the iconic tennis ball.
Nicola De Maria’s Roland-Garros 1989 poster is almost child-like in essence. A member of the Transavantgarde (“beyond the avant garden”) art movement, Nicola describes himself as a poet who writes with colours.
The imaged selected for the 1991 tournament is by Joan Miro. Used posthumously, the Surrealist artist has a long relationship with Galerie Lelong. This image originally created in 1981 evoked “tennis” and with the approval of Miro’s heirs, was approved for use. This poster marked the centennial of the championships.
Since the 1960s, Ernest Pignon-Ernest has used the atmosphere of the street to inspire his artwork. Capturing the history and memories of a place is an important aspect of his work. In this design, Ernest Pignon-Ernest has used the evocative hand gesture to conjure up an atmosphere of the Roland Garros championships.
The diversity of artists is captured in the wide range of posters that seek to transport the viewer directly to the action on the court!
View our Roland Garros posters here !
