Champagne and the Vintage French Art Poster

In the 1870's an artist called Chéret in Paris discovered a way to print colour using a "three stone lithographic process", a process that allowed the artist to combine word and pictures, gave intense colour and was economical to produce too. The lithographic poster Mucha, Chéret and Cappiello amongst many others. Paris became known as the "picture gallery of the street".

Poster art was loved by the people at the time; it was hugely popular as it brought art to the ordinary person on the street. Poster shows around Europe were organised to show off the artists work, the largest one being held in Reims (the home of Champagne) in 1896 where 1,690 posters were exhibited all arranged by Country.

The posters below are from this era of the Belle Epoque, I hope you enjoy them.

Alphonse Mucha (1860 - 1939)

Alphonse Mucha was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and print maker, famous for his delicate detailed illustrations. Mucha designed posters for Champagne, but also non luxury items too such as soap, cigarettes, biscuits and other everyday household items. In illustrating these adverts Mucha succeeded in bringing art to ordinary people, something he was passionate about.

Mucha was very much the "starving artist" when he first arrived in Paris, drawing illustrations for very little money, living on lentils and becoming very ill. After 7 years of hard work in Paris, Mucha became an overnight success when received a 6 year contract to design the actress Sarah Bernhardt's theatre sets, costumes and posters. Unfortunately when Art Nouveau became unfashionable, so did Mucha, although his art was still popular it was no longer "new". Mucha was arrested in when the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in 1938, and died in prison in 1939.

Moet Chandon Dry Imperial
Alphonse Mucha
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Gaspar Camps (1874-1942)

Gaspar Camps was Spanish and was nicknamed the "Mucha Catalan " due to the strong Mucha influence in his work. He studied in Cuba and France, and worked mainly in Spain. His work is softer and more sentimental than Mucha's though, and more like oil painting than graphic design.

Camps specialised in celebrating the female form in his illustrations, this advert for Roederer Champagne shows an elegant woman in a Chinese style dress sipping from a glass of Champagne.


Champagne Roederer Vintage Poster
Gaspar Camps - Buy at AllPosters.com

Emile Berchmans 1867 - 1947

Berchmans was an artist from Belgium, specialising in watercolours, pastels and lithographs. He illustrated a number of posters for magazines, which are very collectable today.

There is a soft dreamy quality to his work, and his style is very well suited to advertising posters in the Belle Epoque era. Berchmans liked to paint mythological figures - hence the fairy opening the champagne in this poster.



Champagne l'Etincelle
Emile Berchmans
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The title "Messieurs!! Voulez Vous Conquérir les Coeurs!" translates to "Gentlemen! Would you win hearts!" This suggests that this very old man is able to attract young beautiful women if he buys them this champagne! If you look at her face though, she doesn't look that impressed, perhaps she's just putting up with his advances in order to have an expensive drink!

The caption at the bottom of the poster "Exiger la superbe paire de jarretières avec chaque bouteille" translates to "Requiring a great pair of garters with each bottle!"

Champagne De La Jarretiere Vintage Poster
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Francisco Tamagno (1851 - 1923)

Tamago was born in Portugal and moved to Paris in the 1880s, where he became popular for illustrating adverts for cycling, skiing, rail travel and drinks. Although he is of the same era as the Art Nouveau graphic artists, Tamagno's style is more cartoon like and bold.

This illustration shows a drunken gentleman fetching another bottle of champagne, with two empty bottles on the table! Let's hope he hasn't drunk them all by himself!

Nestor Portron Vintage Poster
by Francisco Tamagno
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Another naughty gentleman thinking of the ladies whilst have a glass of champagne and a cigar!

Champagne posters show women as beautiful and youthful, either elegant and composed or slightly saucy. Men come across as either drunk, chasing the girls or thinking of girls!





Grand Parisy Vintage Poster
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Leonetto Capiello (1875 - 1942)

Born in Italy, Capiello moved to Paris in 1898 and work as a caricaturist before devoting his time to creating posters. He is considered to be the godfather of the Art Deco movement and revolutionised advertising with his strong dynamic style, bold colours and lines. Capiello turned poster advertising into a collectable art form, in 40 years he illustrated over 1000 works.

I love the movement in this print, with the lines of the feathers in her hat, the ribbon on her dress streaming out behind her. It creates an impression of a social butterfly; the woman is as lively and as effervescent as the champagne.

Champagne Delbeck Reims Vintage Poster
Leonard Cappiello - Buy at AllPosters.com

Grapeshot! Vintage Poster by Lou Mayer

This poster was illustrated by Lou Mayer, I cannot find any information on the life of artist at present but will update here when I do! The illustration appeared in an English magazine in 1915.

Grapeshot is a type of ammunition used in cannons, they are a cluster of metal pellets - this illustration is comparing the popping of a cork to a hail of grapeshot from a cannon.



Grape Shot Vintage Poster - Lou Mayer
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Taittinger Champagne Vintage Poster

L'Instant Taittinger translates to "Taittinger in a Moment" and was created by Claude Taittinger for an advertising campaign in 1988. This image encapsulates the champagne brand so simply and effectively; elegance, sophistication, allure and beauty.

The image shows Grace Kelly, the beautiful American actress and Princess Consort of Monaco. I love the way her pose is echoed in the shape of the glass. After appearing on the front cover of Vogue, it was propelled from being an advert to an iconic art image.

L'Instant Taittinger
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Poto Leifi

This poster looks very vintage and could have been drawn in the 1930's, however the artist is alive and young too! Leifi was born in Southern California has been drawing since he was 4 years old. After graduating in 1987 Leifi began a successful career in design and enlisted into the army in 2006.

I don't think Golden Sable is a brand of Champagne, I have looked for it and I think this is fictional! It is a beautiful illustration; Poto Leifi has drawn others in similar styles which all have that vintage and retro feel to them.
Golden Sable Champagne by Poto Leifi
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