Conserves Dauphin 

Leonetto Cappiello created this poster to advertise canned goods, and the image is dominated by a Bacchante-like woman, adorned with tomatoes and vines, mirroring ancient depictions of fertility and abundance. The tomato, once deemed poisonous, has become a symbol of Italian vibrancy, adorning our figure in place of grapes, echoing the classical Maenads of Dionysian revelry. In ancient times, Maenads would be seized by religious ecstasy, a frenzy we see echoed in the woman’s exaggerated pose and expression as she is surrounded by produce. Consider how such imagery, rooted in antiquity, re-emerges in commercial art, tapping into primal associations of nature's bounty and the human form. This dance between the sacred and the profane, the ancient and the modern, reveals the enduring power of symbols to evoke emotions that resonate across time. It speaks to a collective memory, the way images are subconsciously recalled, reshaped, and repurposed.