Palace Hotel Winter - Cardinaux

Skating takes second place to people watching in this elegant and exceptionally rare poster for the Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The blasé mood of the central figures reflects the high-society clientele that the hotel catered to and wanted to entice to visit. Each of the figures in the scene look in different directions, with the seated central figure staring at us intently. This dramatic break with convention immediately transports us into the scene - it is as though we, too are in the snow watching the elegant promenade of skaters pass by. Notice how the flattened planes of color simplify the scene while the primary color palette creates a heightened sense of drama. The Palace Hotel has remained in the Badrutt family since its founding in 1896 by Caspar Badrutt. Located in the heart of St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps, the hotel is a grand chateau-style building and the height of luxury. It quickly became a stop on wealthy tourists 'Grand Tours' in the 1890s -1910s. The Hote