Sunderland vs Selecció Catalana | 1935

Gran Partit Internacional: Sunderland vs Selecció Catalana, 1935, by Josep Morell Macías

This dynamic Art Deco poster showcases two footballers in stylized, geometric forms competing for a ball. The player in red lunges from the left, while the goalkeeper in green reaches upward from the right, both with their eyes focused on the round ball suspended between them. The artist employs bold, flat colours and sharp angular shapes typical of modernist design, with the figures depicted in brown skin tones against a beige background. Below the main illustration, text announces a major international football match between Sunderland and the Catalan Selection to be held at Estadi de Montjuïc on 12 May 1935, with ticket prices listed at the bottom.

This poster advertises a significant sporting event during a pivotal era in Spanish and European history. The match featured Sunderland, then one of England's most formidable football clubs, against the Catalan national selection at the recently constructed Montjuïc Stadium in Barcelona. The stadium had been built for the 1929 International Exposition and would later host the 1992 Olympic Games. This friendly international took place during a politically tense period, just one year before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, when Catalonia's distinct cultural identity was particularly significant. The match represents the region's sporting aspirations and international connections during the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939).

The poster was created by Josep Morell Macías (1899-1949), one of Spain's most celebrated poster artists of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Girona, Catalonia, Morell studied at the School of Fine Arts "Santa Isabel de Huerta" in Sevilla before establishing himself in Barcelona. He became renowned for his distinctive style that combined Art Deco elements with bold colours and dynamic compositions. Morell received the Barcelona National Medal in 1933 and created numerous posters promoting Spanish tourism, sports events, and cultural celebrations.