Gaston Ferré’s Zoo de Mulhouse turns an advertisement for the Alsatian zoo into a spirited exercise in movement, colour and graphic economy. Two dark-green sea lions dominate the foreground, their elongated bodies curving across a field of paler green as though swimming through the design itself. Beneath them, the destination is announced in emphatic red lettering: the enormous word ‘ZOO’ followed by the block-like ‘DE MULHOUSE’. Animals, landscape and typography are compressed into a single lively emblem.

Created in the bold visual language associated with mid-century travel advertising, Ferré’s poster belongs to a period when leisure destinations were increasingly promoted through memorable graphic identities rather than literal views. Instead of documenting the zoo enclosure by enclosure, he offers a condensed impression of abundance and animation. Mulhouse, an industrial city in Alsace, is presented here through its zoological attraction: a place of recreation and discovery, communicated with the immediate clarity required of a poster encountered in passing.

A closer look

The sea lions provide the composition’s central rhythm. One stretches almost horizontally while the other bends more sharply, producing an interlocking arrangement of sleek backs, flippers and lifted heads. Their deep green bodies stand out against the luminous ground without becoming fully detached from it. Subtle tonal modelling and fine linear marks suggest texture, but Ferré keeps their silhouettes broad and instantly legible. The result is poised between natural observation and graphic caricature.

Behind them, trees rise in narrow, simplified forms, their trunks and foliage creating a shallow screen rather than a conventionally receding landscape. Smaller animal silhouettes are threaded through this green setting. Shapes resembling deer and zebras appear almost as discoveries within the foliage, while pale birds at the lower right introduce crisp points of contrast. These secondary creatures do not compete with the sea lions; they establish the sense of a larger menagerie continuing beyond the poster’s principal attraction.

The typography is as active as the animals. ‘ZOO’ occupies the lower centre in saturated red, with a light edging that separates the letters cleanly from the green background. ‘DE MULHOUSE’ sits below in a heavier, more compact line, anchoring the sweeping movement above. The artist’s name, ‘gaston ferré’, appears discreetly near the lower right, while the smaller ‘BAHY, MULHOUSE’ imprint is incorporated along the lower margin. This hierarchy allows the poster to communicate its destination at once, then reward closer attention with its quieter details.

Context and significance

Zoo posters occupy an engaging position within travel design. They advertise a specific institution, yet they also sell a broader idea of the city as a destination for modern leisure. Ferré achieves this without landmarks, panoramas or picturesque regional imagery. Mulhouse is identified through lettering, while the character of the visit is conveyed through exuberant animal forms, fresh colour and carefully controlled visual bustle.

The poster’s limited palette is crucial to that effect. Cool greens unify animals and vegetation, touches of blue and cream soften the field, and the red lettering supplies an unmistakable graphic accent. Although the arrangement is crowded with life, it remains remarkably clear. Ferré’s design retains its appeal because it does more than name a zoo: it gives the destination a distinctive visual personality—playful, energetic and immediately recognisable.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.

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Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.