Ile de Ré

At the beginning of the 20th century, the rapid expansion of the railway network profoundly transformed travel in France. Major railway companies launched ambitious advertising campaigns to promote the many destinations accessible by train. Among them, the French State Railways (Chemins de fer de l’État) played a key role in promoting the Atlantic coastline and its emerging seaside resorts.

It was within this context that this poster dedicated to the Île de Ré was created around 1920 by the French illustrator René Péan. At the time, the island was becoming an increasingly popular seaside destination, appreciated for its unspoiled landscapes, sandy beaches, and picturesque fishing villages. Travel posters served as powerful visual invitations, encouraging city dwellers to discover the pleasures of seaside holidays.

In this composition, the artist highlights one of the most charming symbols of the island’s local heritage: the famous “donkey in trousers” (âne en culotte). Historically used in the island’s salt marshes, these donkeys wore protective trousers to shield their legs from mosquitoes and insects. Over time, they became an iconic and endearing emblem of the Île de Ré.

The scene, full of warmth and serenity, depicts a mother and child enjoying a peaceful donkey ride along the coast. In the background rise the distinctive silhouettes of the Phare des Baleines and the Old Baleines Lighthouse, two of the island’s most recognizable landmarks located at its western tip.

With its soft colors and harmonious composition, René Péan’s work belongs to the great tradition of French travel posters from the interwar period, where illustration combined storytelling, artistic elegance, and an idealized vision of travel. Originally displayed in railway stations and travel agencies, such posters played a major role in shaping the imagery of holidays and leisure in early 20th-century France.

Today, these posters are prized both as historical documents and decorative artworks, capturing the golden age of illustrated advertising and the early development of tourism along the French Atlantic coast. Rare and highly collectible, this original poster is a beautiful testament to the charm and imagination of vintage French travel advertising.