Chocolat fondant Mascotte. Compagnie française, Strasbourg 1920

Curator: Here we have a poster by Jean d'Ylen from 1920. It's an advertisement for Chocolat Fondant Mascotte made by a French company in Strasbourg. Editor: Oh, wow, that's charming. She's practically a woodland sprite, off to deliver... chocolate, apparently! There’s a sweetness, almost cloying, but the design feels fresh despite its age. Curator: Precisely. D'Ylen's choice of medium – the poster – is key. It's mass-produced, meant for public consumption. Advertising connected to the booming chocolate industry highlights changing patterns of desire and accessibility of luxury items after the first world war. Editor: It's fascinating how the art nouveau style blends with that post-war feeling. Those big green quatrefoil wings…they add a whimsical note. Although those boxes overflowing from the red woven bag appear like ingots rather than chocolate. Curator: The color palette is certainly striking. Consider how the artist uses the dark background to amplify the almost luminescent quality of the mascot’s golden dress. Also, notice the emphasis on the word "Mascotte" in larger bolder font. A marketing attempt to equate her allure with the chocolate itself, crafting an experience. Editor: Absolutely. There’s something about her knowing smile. Like, “Yes, I'm selling you something, but I'm also offering you a bit of magic.” It makes you wonder about the production processes back then, all those boxes needed to be manufactured and labeled with “Mascotte”. Curator: Exactly. And in that time, consider the labor conditions in both the making of the chocolate itself and the reproduction of these posters. It links pleasure and consumerism to potentially unseen or overlooked forms of work. The value of which are captured in those tags tied to the basket. Editor: Looking at the work through that lens gives me a whole new appreciation… or perhaps a slightly more complicated relationship to my next chocolate craving. It also makes one wonder about the intended consumer during those inter-war years. Curator: Agreed, the intersection of industry, art, and daily life is potent in pieces like this. Editor: Well, it certainly makes you think twice before indulging in your next "Mascotte."