Advertentie van kledingzaak D. Barnasconi in Amsterdam 1880 - 1912

Johann Georg van Caspel created this advertisement for D. Barnasconi, a clothing store in Amsterdam, employing lithography, a technique that marries commercial purpose with artistic expression. Observe the hats, each a veritable garden of floral and avian motifs. These are not mere fashion accessories; they're modern iterations of the ancient 'cornucopia' symbol, a horn overflowing with nature's bounty, promising prosperity and abundance to those who adorn themselves thus. The gaze of the central figure, direct and engaging, reminds one of classical portraiture. It is designed to evoke a sense of trust and invitation. Compare it with how ancient Roman busts conveyed authority and virtue through a similar directness. Here, though, it's democratized, secularized, and applied to commerce. These motifs stir something primal within us, a collective memory of seasons, harvest, and the life-giving power of nature. The advertisement, in turn, is not merely selling clothes. It is selling an emotion, the subconscious desire for a life abundant and beautiful.