Bieres de Humes 1920
Buy this print on Etsy →Raise a glass to Bieres de Humes, Leonetto Cappiello's rollicking 1920 salute to everything a good night at the pub promises. Few posters capture the simple, sociable joy of a shared drink with such unforced high spirits.
The composition brims with conviviality: warm atmosphere, jolly company and a generous pour of golden ale. Presiding over it all is the red figure of Gambrinus, the legendary Flemish King of Beer, whose very presence is a guarantee of merriment and good cheer. Cappiello knew exactly how to make a mascot stick in the memory, and this design proved so versatile that it was later repurposed to advertise Biere des Carmes as well. The crowned Gambrinus, tankard in hand and grin at the ready, embodies a folk tradition of good living that stretches back centuries, and Cappiello plays it for maximum warmth and colour.
Leonetto Cappiello (1875-1942), often called the father of modern advertising, transformed the poster by throwing bold, witty figures against vivid dark backgrounds so they seemed to leap toward the viewer. Instead of merely picturing a product, he handed each brand an unforgettable character, a strategy that shaped commercial art for the whole of the twentieth century. His draughtsman's wit and theatrical sense of colour made him the most sought-after poster designer of his generation.
The Belle Epoque, the 'beautiful era' running roughly from 1871 to 1914, was the golden age of the illustrated poster. Colour lithography let artists blanket Paris in vivid imagery, and figures such as Cheret, Mucha and Cappiello turned everyday advertising into art worth collecting.
With its jubilant palette and swaggering central figure, this print is made for spaces where people gather. It is a natural above a home bar, in a kitchen, dining room, pub-styled den or games room, and it brings instant warmth and good humour to a gallery wall of vintage advertising posters. Few images do more to give a room the relaxed, sociable feel of a favourite tavern.
Printed to order on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper with fade-resistant pigment inks for rich, gallery-quality colour and crisp detail. Choose your size from the drop-down menu - 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30 or 24x36 inches. Carefully packaged and shipped rolled in a sturdy tube, or flat in the smallest size; frame not included.
This is a faithful fine-art reproduction of the original stone lithograph, colour-matched and printed to archival standards rather than a flat mass-market copy. It preserves the texture and character of the antique poster while arriving crisp, clean and ready to frame.
A spirited gift for beer lovers, home-bar owners and admirers of Cappiello and Belle Epoque poster art - and a lasting way to bring a piece of vintage advertising history into a home, studio or workplace. Reproduced from a high-resolution scan of the original lithograph; subtle age-toning is part of its authentic historic character.
