Vintage Poster Archives
Martell Cognac 1905 | Cappiello Advertising Poster
Martell Cognac 1905 | Cappiello Advertising Poster
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A golden faun leaps mid-air, a vast bunch of deep crimson grapes riding its back and a small bird perched on the vine above. The figure is isolated against a flat violet-lavender ground, with bold navy brushstrokes darkening the upper right corner. Below, slab-serif capitals in dark red carry the Martell name, with COGNAC and FRANCE set in smaller Roman type either side. Cappiello's cursive signature sits mid-right, and the printer imprint of P. Destribats & Cie, Paris, runs vertically at the lower edge.
Designed by Leonetto Cappiello (1875–1942) for the Martell cognac house, circa 1905, during his long contract with publisher Pierre Vercasson. Cappiello had by this point developed the formula that separated him from his Art Nouveau contemporaries: one bold figure, a vivid palette, a plain ground, and nothing else. The design earned him recognition as the father of the modern advertising poster, a poster-art lineage that runs directly from this kind of work to the mid-century masters who followed.
Martell, established in Cognac in 1715, is among the oldest cognac houses in continuous production. The faun carrying grape harvest to distillery is a classical advertising trope for French spirits; Cappiello gives it his characteristic physical energy and wit, the figure caught at the top of a leap rather than posed.
Reproduced from a high-quality restored source as an archival print on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Fine Art Paper. The lavender and navy palette works across a range of interior settings, and the composition suits both a dining room and a working study.
