About this artwork
Three long wooden boats lie side by side along a canal quay, their tall prows curving up into elegant swan necks that end in carved swan heads with orange beaks. The hulls are dark and glossy, banded with stripes of red, cream, mustard and blue, and the curved bows are decorated with coral flowers and trailing leaves. Their colours repeat, softly rippled, in the still water below.
Behind them, a row of tall houses lines the quay in vertical stripes: brick red and cream, blue and cream, sage green and ochre. Terracotta roofs, chimneys, small dormers, arched doors and fanlights give the street a gentle rhythm under a golden sky. Close to home for a Portugal-based studio, this Aveiro poster is an original ITCLabStudio design that borrows the clean lines of 1930s art deco travel posters, and its cream band names Aveiro in navy serif capitals above Portugal.
About Aveiro
Aveiro is a city in central Portugal on the Ria de Aveiro, a wide coastal lagoon, and its canals have earned it the nickname the Venice of Portugal. Its best-known sight is the moliceiro, a long, flat-bottomed boat with a high curved prow decorated with brightly coloured panels, once used to harvest seaweed from the lagoon and now used for canal trips. The city is also known for art nouveau façades, ovos moles egg sweets and the candy-striped houses of nearby Costa Nova.
How to style it
Cheerful in a kitchen, a hallway or a bright living room with blue, terracotta and sage accents. It pairs with the Douro Valley design for two of Portugal's traditional wooden boats. Explore the full Vintage Travel Posters collection.
Choose your format
- Unframed Art Print on 250 gsm archival matte fine-art paper with a soft off-white tone. Ideal if you already have a frame.
- Natural Wood Frame with shatterproof acrylic glazing. Arrives assembled, ready to hang.
- Black Metal Frame, a slim matte-black aluminium frame with shatterproof acrylic glazing. Arrives assembled, ready to hang.
- Aluminium Print, printed directly onto a rigid 3 mm aluminium panel for a sleek, frameless look.
- Wood Print, printed directly onto a 2 cm wood panel for a warm, natural, gallery feel.
Sizes
Seven portrait sizes from 20 × 30 cm (8 × 12 in) to 50 × 70 cm (20 × 28 in). Not sure which one? Read our size guide.
Shipping
Free tracked shipping to most countries. Every print is made to order and produced close to you, in more than 30 countries across Europe, the UK, North America and Australia, which means shorter journeys and fewer surprises at the door. See shipping & returns.
Questions & answers
Do real moliceiro boats have swan heads?
No. Real moliceiros have tall curved prows, often compared to a swan's neck, decorated with brightly coloured panels. The carved swan heads are the design's own playful touch, while the flowers and striped hulls echo the boats' cheerful traditional decoration.
Are the striped houses really in Aveiro?
They are inspired by the area. The famous candy-striped houses stand at Costa Nova, a beach village near Aveiro, while the city's canals are lined with art nouveau buildings. The design brings both ideas together on a single canal quay.
Is a frame included?
Only if you choose a framed format. The Natural Wood Frame and Black Metal Frame options arrive assembled with acrylic glazing and are ready to hang. The Unframed Art Print arrives without a frame, and the Aluminium and Wood Prints need no frame at all.
Which size should I choose?
As a rule of thumb, choose art about two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it. 50 × 70 cm makes a statement above a sofa or bed, 30 × 40 cm suits shelves, desks and gallery walls. Our size guide shows every size to scale.
How is my print made and shipped?
Each print is made to order for you, then shipped with tracking from a production partner close to your address. You receive the tracking link by email as soon as your order leaves production.
Specifications
| Format | Unframed Art Print, Natural Wood Frame, Black Metal Frame, Aluminium Print, Wood Print |
| Print Size | 20 × 30 cm / 8 × 12 in, 30 × 40 cm / 12 × 16 in, 30 × 45 cm / 12 × 18 in, 40 × 50 cm / 16 × 20 in, 40 × 60 cm / 16 × 24 in, 45 × 60 cm / 18 × 24 in, 50 × 70 cm / 20 × 28 in |
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