Cafe Martin 1921
Buy this print on Etsy →A grinning genie, a steaming cup and a nickname that entered everyday speech: Leonetto Cappiello's Cafe Martin of 1921 is advertising at its most infectious. It is one of those rare designs that people remembered long after the product itself had faded from the shelves.
A joyful, turbaned genie presides over a colourful cup at the centre of this exuberant design, radiating good humour. The figure struck such a chord that coffee drinkers took to calling the Martin brand 'the Turk in the cup', a nickname that lodged itself in the popular vernacular, and there is no surer measure of a poster's success than when its mascot names the product for its own customers. Cappiello's imagination proved so durable here that the design was reused for years to come; this is the in-store display version, made to greet buyers at the point of sale. The billowing steam, the exuberant grin and the swirl of colour around the cup turn the simple act of pouring coffee into a small piece of theatre, and it is easy to see why the character lodged so firmly in the public mind.
Leonetto Cappiello (1875-1942), often called the father of modern advertising, transformed the poster with bold, witty figures leaping off vivid dark backgrounds. Rather than merely picturing a product, he gave each brand an unforgettable visual character, an approach that shaped commercial art for the whole twentieth century. His caricaturist's flair and fearless colour made his posters the talk of the boulevards.
The Belle Epoque, the 'beautiful era' between 1871 and 1914, was the golden age of the illustrated poster. Colour lithography let artists flood Paris with vivid imagery, and pioneers such as Cheret, Mucha and Cappiello turned commercial advertising into sought-after art.
Bright and welcoming, this print is a natural for anywhere coffee is loved. It brings life to a kitchen, breakfast nook, cafe, coffee bar or dining corner, cheers a wall above a counter or espresso machine, and adds a burst of colour to a gallery grouping of vintage advertising posters.
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 cheerful gift for coffee lovers and fans of Cappiello and Belle Epoque design - 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.
