Privat Livemont Cacao Van Houten
Buy this print on Etsy →A radiant example of Art Nouveau at its most elegant, this poster by the Belgian master Privat-Livemont advertises the celebrated 'Cacao Van Houten.' A graceful young woman, framed by the flowing hair, sinuous lines and softly glowing halo that are Livemont's trademark, presents a steaming cup of cocoa amid decorative floral ornament. It is pure turn-of-the-century sophistication - an everyday drink transformed into something luminous and beautiful.
Privat-Livemont (1861-1936) is often described as the Belgian answer to Alphonse Mucha, and this design shows exactly why. He shared Mucha's love of the idealised woman, the whiplash curve and the intricate border, but developed his own cooler, jewel-like palette and a distinctive outlined 'cloisonné' style. His posters for drinks, cosmetics and Belgian brands are now considered among the finest of the entire Art Nouveau movement.
The product he is selling was famous in its own right. Van Houten, the Dutch chocolate house, had revolutionised the world of cocoa decades earlier by inventing the process for pressing out cocoa butter and 'Dutching' the powder - the breakthrough that made smooth, drinkable cocoa possible and helped launch the modern chocolate industry. Pairing that pioneering brand with one of Europe's great decorative artists produced advertising that still looks gorgeous on a wall today.
And as wall art it is a quiet showstopper. The elegant figure, warm tones and ornamental detail make it a natural for a kitchen, café or coffee-and-cocoa corner, a dining room, a bedroom or a refined gallery wall. It is a wonderful gift for chocolate and cocoa lovers, Art Nouveau enthusiasts and admirers of Mucha and Livemont, and it pairs beautifully with other Belle Époque and kitchen prints.
Because the original dates to the turn of the twentieth century and Livemont's work is now in the public domain, we are able to reproduce it at full museum quality.
Each print is produced on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper, faithfully capturing the delicate line work, jewel-like colour and warm vintage paper of the original lithograph - ready to frame and enjoy for years to come.
