Champagne Delbeck 1902

Curator: What a festive image. It exudes an effervescent quality. Editor: Yes, it does, doesn't it? We're looking at Leonetto Cappiello's "Champagne Delbeck," a lithograph poster from 1902. Cappiello was a master of advertising art, really shaping the visual language of commerce. Curator: The colour palette really leaps out; that bold, almost artificial blue backdrop against the woman’s yellow dress creates an immediate sensory impact. You can almost feel the texture of the lithographic printing, can't you? All those layered stones. And what inks were they using then? Editor: Precisely. He uses bold color blocks to make his advertisements pop. Look at how her face, and that spray of champagne, command immediate attention. In a street crammed with visual noise, this design cuts through to do its job in relation to market imperatives of that time. Advertising became an industry—and posters, like this one, played a major role. Curator: It's fascinating how Cappiello embraced caricature; that enlarged coiffure, her exaggerated features, it almost borders on satire but stays playful. You get the sense of a society becoming obsessed with novelty. Were they using that kind of graphic exuberance to distract the audience from social unrest, maybe? Editor: Perhaps a light distraction. It would depend what social strata this was aimed towards. Consumption also comes into the picture: a new class was able to obtain products and they are seeing themselves in advertisements, the birth of aspirational commerce. Think about how images in public spaces reinforce societal values, dictate our aspirations... Curator: Yes, those ribbons look so artificial but also, in turn, quite chic! Editor: The Art Nouveau style itself contributed to the sense of luxury; a handmade crafted sensibility. Curator: What a revealing example of material culture meeting public space. It makes you want to know the cost of creating these kinds of materials back then, the labor practices. Editor: Yes! Art is never detached from production, distribution, and context of exhibition. Looking closely at “Champagne Delbeck” makes me realize yet again how social forces are ever shaping aesthetics. Curator: I feel the same. It leaves you seeing every advert now with an enlightened understanding.