Mont Saint Michel c1920 French Travel Advertising Poster, Constant Duval

Created around 1920 by French artist Constant Léon Duval (1877–1956), Excursions au Mont St. Michel was commissioned by the Chemins de fer de l'État (French State Railway) to promote travel to the historic island of Mont Saint-Michel.

Known for his distinctive travel posters, Duval produced a series of works encouraging tourism to scenic destinations across France. This particular piece reflects both the artistic style of the early 20th century and the growing popularity of railway travel as a gateway to regional exploration.

Combining subtle elegance with an inviting sense of place, the poster captures the enduring appeal of Mont Saint-Michel as a cultural and natural landmark.

▼France has a long and rich history in poster design that dates back to the mid-19th century.... CLICK TO READ MORE

One of the most influential figures in the development of vintage posters was the French poster artist Jules Chéret. Around 1866, Chéret is credited with producing the first colour lithograph posters, using a technique he refined from the black and white process first invented by German actor and playwright Alois Senefelder in 1798. Cheret's three stone lithographic process allowed artists to achieve every colour in the rainbow using just three stones - usually red, yellow and blue - printed in careful registration.

The Parisian artists, headed by Cheret and including masters Steinlen, Willette, Grasset, Bonnard, Forain and, last but certainly not least, Toulouse-Lautrec's vibrant and eye-catching designs influenced, in part, by Japanese Woodcuts brought a new level of visual appeal to the streets of Paris and, in turn, established the poster as an art form.

The Belle Époque (Beautiful Era), a period of peace and frivolity in France from the late 19th to the early 20th century (1870-1914), played a significant role in the continued advancement of poster design. This era coincided with economic growth and the rise of a new middle class with disposable income and leisure time. It was during this time that the poster craze took hold in France, with posters being used for advertising various products, events, and entertainment.

Over the decades that followed from these auspicious beginnings French poster design continued to flourish and designers from around the world followed suit in experimenting with poster design for advertisements for cultural events, travel, film, food and drink and more.

This original vintage travel poster has been professionally linen-backed and is sized 29 3/4 x 41 1/8 inches (plus a couple more inches for the linen). It will be sent rolled (unframed).

• Year: c1920
  
• Poster Type: French Railway Travel Poster
  
• Style: -
• Art By: Constant Duval
  
• Rolled/Folded/Other: Rolled Linen-backed
  
• Condition: Near Mint/Mint
  
• Condition Details: Originally rolled, now professionally linen-backed. Looks superb.