Monaco Travel Poster: Exposition De Monaco by Leonetto Cappiello, 1920

Exposition De Monaco by Leonetto Cappiello (1920) captures the Riviera’s golden promise at the dawn of modern leisure. Designed for the 1920 Exposition of Monaco, this luminous Art Nouveau travel poster presents a radiant figure scattering blossoms above the cobalt sweep of the Mediterranean, with the principality’s sunlit shoreline beyond. Cappiello translates the glamour of Monaco—its cliffside gardens, sea air, and cultured revelry—into a single, irresistible emblem of escape and elegance.

This listing offers a museum-quality fine art print of Exposition De Monaco, produced with richly pigmented inks on your choice of acid-free archival paper or artist’s cotton canvas. The Unique Maps Co. provides a range of sizes to suit intimate corners or statement walls, plus framing options in curated finishes. Personalisation and customisation are available—add a title plate, gift message, or adjusted borders—and each print is crafted to ensure crisp detail, faithful colour, and long-lasting beauty.

Leonetto Cappiello (1875–1942) was an Italian-born, Paris-based poster designer and painter, widely regarded as the father of modern advertising. Beginning as a caricaturist on the pages of fin-de-siècle journals, he revolutionised the street poster by distilling brands and places into bold, unforgettable figures. His work rejected the hazy painterliness of earlier affiches in favour of punchy silhouettes, graphic clarity, and theatrical wit—qualities that made his posters read instantly at a distance and endure as icons of early 20th-century design.

The 1920 Exposition of Monaco represented a spirited return to culture and travel in the post-war years, and Cappiello’s image channels that optimism. The heroine—an archetype of modern beauty—moves with buoyant grace, her armful of flowers symbolising growth, renewal, and the sensory pleasures of the Riviera. Behind her, the tranquil sea and terraced landscape evoke the principality’s singular geography, a meeting of cliff and harbour that became synonymous with refined leisure, concerts, gardens, and seaside promenades.

Cappiello stages the scene with a striking, high-contrast palette. Warm yellows bathe the figure in Mediterranean light, offset by saturated blues that suggest depth and cool sea breezes. Accents of red animate the composition, while white highlights sharpen the silhouette to billboard clarity. Flowing, curvilinear lines—seen in the drapery, petals, and coastal contours—root the work in Art Nouveau’s organic vocabulary, yet the crisp outlines and simplified forms anticipate the visual directness of modern graphic design.

This print brings a touch of Riviera sunshine to interiors from coastal contemporary to mid-century and eclectic spaces. Hang it in a living room, stair hall, or study to conjure holiday light year-round; pair it with natural woods, brass accents, and botanical greens to echo its garden-and-sea motif. For collectors of travel ephemera, Art Nouveau graphics, or those who cherish Monaco, it is both a decorative showpiece and a fragment of cultural history.

A thoughtful gift for travellers, honeymooners, or anyone with happy memories of the Côte d’Azur, this fine art print is perfect for birthdays, housewarmings, anniversaries, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, and Christmas. It’s also a heartfelt way to celebrate someone who has just returned from Monaco—or to spark daydreams of the next voyage.

If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.

You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.

You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.

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

I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.

This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.