Saint-Malo Travel Poster: La Côte d’Émeraude by Maurice Toussaint

La côte d’Émeraude. Le Port de Sainte-Malo by Maurice Toussaint invites you to the bustling harbor of Brittany’s famed Emerald Coast at the height of the golden age of travel. Rendered in an Art Nouveau spirit, the poster’s flowing lines and decorative rhythm capture the easy glamour of coastal holidays—masts clustered in cadence, sunlit façades stepping along the quay, and a sweep of blue water that pulls the eye toward the open sea. Created to entice leisure travelers, it now reads as both an elegant artwork and a time capsule of Saint‑Malo’s maritime life.

This edition is offered as a high-quality fine art print by The Unique Maps Co., produced with museum-grade giclée inks on your choice of acid-free archival paper or artist’s cotton canvas. Available in a range of sizes, it can be ordered unframed or expertly framed to arrive ready to hang. We’re pleased to personalize your piece with custom title plates, dates, or location coordinates, and can accommodate bespoke sizing to fit your space perfectly.

About the artist: Maurice Toussaint was a French illustrator and poster artist active in the early twentieth century, celebrated for his assured draftsmanship and a vivid, historically informed eye. Though widely admired for his book and periodical illustrations, he also turned to the graphic language of travel promotion, distilling atmosphere and architecture into bold silhouettes and refined color harmonies. Toussaint’s work bridges the elegance of late Art Nouveau with the clarity that would soon define modern poster design.

Why this subject matters: Saint‑Malo has long been one of Brittany’s great maritime gateways—its granite ramparts, corsair lore, and commanding tides shaping a port city famed for both trade and seafaring adventure. As coastal tourism blossomed along the Emerald Coast, Saint‑Malo became a coveted destination for ferries, yachts, and holidaymakers bound for wide beaches and bracing Channel air. This poster’s view, alive with rigging, quayside bustle, and crisp sea light, is as much a document of that era’s travel culture as it is a portrait of place.

Color, style, and why you’ll love it: Cool maritime blues anchor the composition, playing against warm accents of brown hulls, terracotta rooftops, and orange light that warms stone and sail. Broad, expressive strokes animate the water’s surface, while finer lines articulate masts and façades, creating a lively push-and-pull between rounded boats and the angular geometry of the town. The rhythmic arrangement guides the eye across the harbor, lending the scene its inviting, almost musical tempo. It is a quintessential coastal statement piece—equally at home in a bright, modern interior or a nautically inspired room—bringing with it the scent of salt air and the romance of departure.

A thoughtful gift for travelers and Francophiles alike, this print makes a memorable present for Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s or Father’s Day, housewarmings, weddings, or to celebrate someone’s recent trip to Saint‑Malo and the Emerald Coast. For anyone who has strolled the ramparts or watched the tide race in and out of the port, it’s a beautiful way to keep that memory alive.

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 24x36in (60x90cm) 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.