Africa by SAS - Zebra

This original vintage SAS travel poster was designed by celebrated Danish artist Otto Nielsen (1916–2000) during the 1950s for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). Promoting air travel to Africa, the poster is a wonderful example of Nielsen's distinctive and highly collectible work for the Scandinavian airline.

The dramatic composition depicts a group of zebras in an African landscape, rendered in expressive shades of purple, turquoise, blue and pink. Above them, almost hidden against the richly coloured sky, a small aircraft flies across the scene – a recurring feature in many of Otto Nielsen's classic SAS destination posters. The bold red “Africa by SAS” lettering and early winged SAS emblem complete the design.

Otto Nielsen began working for SAS in the late 1940s and continued creating advertising artwork for the airline for several decades. Rather than simply illustrating aircraft, Nielsen concentrated on the culture, wildlife, landscapes and atmosphere of the destinations themselves. His free, painterly approach gave SAS advertising a distinctive artistic identity during the golden age of international air travel.

The zebra motif and intense, almost dreamlike colours make this one of Nielsen's particularly striking African designs. It captures the optimism and sense of adventure associated with long-distance air travel in the 1950s, when destinations in Africa were becoming increasingly accessible to Scandinavian and European travellers.

A fabulous and increasingly difficult-to-find 1950s Scandinavian airline poster, with strong appeal to collectors of SAS, aviation, African travel, wildlife and Otto Nielsen posters. The extraordinary colours and graphic zebras also make it a spectacular decorative piece that would look wonderful framed.

In good condition with pinholes, small tears and general age wear. Would display beautifully framed.