Roland Topor (1989) – Droits de l’Homme “Droit à la Paresse” – Original Human Rights Bicentennial Poster

Images Internationales pour les Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen – Roland Topor (1989)

This original 1989 poster by Roland Topor (1938–1997), titled Droit à la Paresse (The Right to Laziness), was created for Images Internationales pour les Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen, an international poster series published by Artis 89 in Paris to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Topor’s design is among the most provocative and imaginative in the collection. Known for his surreal and darkly humorous vision, he transforms the concept of “the right to laziness” into a satirical reflection on modern society’s obsession with labor, productivity, and control. The title echoes Paul Lafargue’s famous 1880 essay Le Droit à la Paresse, a socialist critique of work under capitalism. Topor’s visual interpretation connects that idea to the enduring struggle for human dignity and personal freedom.

Printed by Imprimerie Marchand and published by Artis 89, this poster was part of the landmark collaboration uniting 66 international artists and designers. Examples of this particular work are held in the collections of the Centre Pompidou (Paris) and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), underscoring its importance in late 20th-century graphic art.

Artist: Roland Topor (1938–1997)
Title: Droit à la Paresse (Images Internationales pour les Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen)
Date: 1989
Printer / Publisher: Artis 89 / Imprimerie Marchand, Paris
Series: International Images for Human and Citizen’s Rights – Bicentennial of the Declaration
Print Type: Offset Lithograph
Dimensions: 33 × 24 in (84 × 60 cm)
Condition: Excellent “A” – Original issue
Country: France
Category: Human Rights / Surrealism / 20th-Century Graphic Art

Comments:
Issued in 1989 as part of the Images Internationales pour les Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen series celebrating the bicentennial of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man. Roland Topor’s Droit à la Paresse is a sharp and ironic meditation on human freedom and the modern condition. Examples are held in the permanent collections of the Centre Pompidou and the Stedelijk Museum. Guaranteed original printing, not a reproduction.