Creme de Luzy 1919
Buy this print on Etsy →Beauty as its own best advertisement. Creme de Luzy is Leonetto Cappiello's audacious 1919 poster for a beauty cream, and it makes its case with a confidence that borders on the theatrical.
Creme de Luzy traded on the timeless promise of age-defying skin, and Cappiello staged that promise with characteristic boldness. His model reclines in a state of languid undress, inviting the viewer to admire her luminous, seemingly ageless complexion. The figure herself becomes the argument: a living testament to the transformative power the product claims. In place of catalogues of ingredients or earnest reassurance, Cappiello offers pure seduction and radiant colour, trusting the eye to draw the conclusion. Emerging just after the First World War, the design also signals the arrival of a brighter, more sensuous new decade in French advertising.
Leonetto Cappiello (1875-1942), often called the father of modern advertising, revolutionised the poster with bold, witty figures that leap off vivid dark backgrounds. Rather than merely depicting a product, he gave each brand an unforgettable visual mascot - an approach that shaped commercial art for the entire twentieth century.
The work belongs to the Belle Epoque, the 'beautiful era' between 1871 and 1914 that was the golden age of the illustrated poster. Colour lithography allowed artists to cover Paris in vivid imagery, and pioneers such as Cheret, Mucha and Cappiello transformed everyday commercial advertising into sought-after collectable art.
Displayed at scale, a Cappiello poster becomes a genuine focal point. Its confident composition and glowing palette hold their own above a sofa, bed or console, anchor a gallery wall of mixed prints, and bring warmth, colour and a sense of history to a living room, hallway, dining room, home bar, dressing room, boutique or studio. Its elegant subject makes it a flattering choice for a bedroom, powder room or salon.
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 for the smallest size); frame not included.
This is a faithful 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 memorable gift for anyone who loves vintage advertising art, Cappiello and Belle Epoque poster design - and a lasting way to bring a piece of poster 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.
