Plinio Colombi’s Switzerland – S.B.B. – Schreckhorn presents the Bernese Alps as a carefully staged encounter between pastoral calm and geological drama. The Schreckhorn rises through the upper half of the composition, its jagged, snow-marked ridges silhouetted against a sky that shifts from soft yellow to pale orange. Below, cattle graze beside still water, their compact brown-and-white forms establishing a human scale for the immense mountain beyond. Warm earth colours in the foreground are balanced by cooler blues in the water and distant slopes, giving the scene both clarity and atmospheric depth.

Colombi was a pioneer of Swiss poster art whose training in applied arts and subsequent work as a freelance artist helped shape his direct, highly legible graphic language. Here that language serves the S.B.B.—the Swiss Federal Railways—and the developing visual culture of Alpine tourism. Railway posters of the early twentieth century frequently made the landscape itself the principal attraction: rather than concentrating on trains, platforms or timetables, they offered an ideal destination made accessible by modern transport. The Schreckhorn, one of the characteristic peaks of the Bernese Alps, becomes both geographic landmark and persuasive emblem of Switzerland’s mountain regions.

A closer look

The eye is first drawn upwards by the mountain’s steep contours. Positioned slightly to the left of centre, the peak avoids static symmetry while remaining emphatically dominant. Defined crests and angular snowfields give the Schreckhorn a rugged, faceted appearance, sharply distinguished from the softly coloured clouds and open sky around it. The relative emptiness surrounding the summit is crucial: this negative space allows the mountain to appear isolated, monumental and immediately readable from a distance.

The lower landscape unfolds at a slower pace. Stones and gentle slopes frame the water at the left, while a small group of cows occupies the bank at the lower right. Their varied markings bring subtle pattern and movement into an otherwise tranquil foreground. Ripples interrupt the water’s reflective surface, where cool blue and muted green meet the warmer tones of the sky. These successive layers—rocky shore, cattle, pool, foothills and summit—create a convincing recession into space without sacrificing the simplified forms demanded by poster design.

Typography is incorporated as part of the visual architecture. “SWITZERLAND” runs prominently across the top, with “S.B.B.” set at the upper right, while “SCHRECKHORN (OBERLAND)” anchors the scene below. The placement forms a clear hierarchy: country, railway and destination can be understood almost instantly. A warm-toned graphic border encloses both lettering and landscape, turning the Alpine view into a complete promotional emblem. Flat areas of colour and smooth tonal transitions coexist with more painterly passages, particularly in the clouds, reflections and modelled flanks of the mountain.

Context and significance

The poster belongs to a period when Switzerland’s railways and tourist imagery became closely intertwined. Graphic artists translated complex mountain terrain into memorable silhouettes, strong colour relationships and concise place names, helping distant destinations acquire a distinct visual identity. Colombi’s composition is especially effective because it joins two established ideas of the Alps: the formidable high peak and the peaceful pastoral foreground. Neither overwhelms the other. The cattle make the landscape appear inhabited and serene, while the Schreckhorn preserves its imposing remoteness.

What gives the design its lasting force is this controlled contrast of scale and mood. The mountain is severe in outline, yet the palette is warm; the landscape feels expansive, yet every element is organised for immediate graphic impact. It is at once a specific advertisement for rail travel and a refined construction of Alpine place.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

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The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

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Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.