{"product_id":"balsam-vintage-quinquina-aperitif-poster-1920","title":"Balsam Vintage Quinquina Aperitif Poster, 1920","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBalsam, Apéritif Quinquina\u003c\/em\u003e, created by an anonymous designer in 1920, strips beverage advertising to its essentials: a brand name, a product description and an emphatic contrast of colour. Against an uninterrupted field of deep blue, “BALSAM” appears in monumental yellow capitals, while the words “APÉRITIF QUINQUINA” form a smaller white block below. The vertical, almost perfectly centred arrangement has the directness of a public announcement, engineered to be understood in an instant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster belongs to an era when printed advertising was becoming an increasingly assertive feature of urban visual culture. Producers needed names and products to register amid crowded streets, cafés and shopfronts, and designers responded with simplified forms, vivid colour and typography capable of working at a distance. Quinquina was a category of aperitif flavoured with cinchona bark—the source associated with quinine—and its name would have communicated both flavour and product type to a contemporary audience. Here, however, the brand takes precedence: “BALSAM” is given the scale and graphic force required to lodge in the memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe eye first meets the yellow lettering in the upper half of the composition. Its heavy, consistent strokes give the word a compact solidity, while a subtle darker edging separates each letter more sharply from the blue. This slight outlining is the poster’s nearest approach to modelling; otherwise, depth is deliberately suppressed in favour of broad, flat planes. The result is less an illustrated scene than a carefully controlled typographic signal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBelow, the white lettering changes both scale and function. “APÉRITIF QUINQUINA” is quieter but remains exceptionally clear, identifying what the larger name alone does not explain. The division creates an effective hierarchy: brand first, commodity second. Considerable blue space surrounds both lines, preventing the design from becoming cramped and allowing the three-colour palette to retain its intensity. A small inscription at the lower right introduces the only notably fine detail, easily missed beside the commanding central text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster’s symmetry is equally purposeful. There is no figure, bottle, glass or decorative setting to divert attention; even the background remains uniform from top to bottom. Such restraint makes the lettering itself perform as imagery. The warm yellow advances against the cool blue field, while the white subtitle acts as a crisp visual pause near the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBalsam, Apéritif Quinquina\u003c\/em\u003e demonstrates how commercial design could achieve character without narrative illustration. Its anonymous maker relied on proportion, spacing and chromatic contrast rather than anecdote or ornament, anticipating the concise brand-led language that would become central to modern advertising. What survives is a particularly lucid example of the poster as public communication: bold enough to compete for attention, yet disciplined enough for its message to remain immediate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoosing the right size and finish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop for advice\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the undefined version of this art print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee examples of personalised artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/sepia-aged-maps\"\u003eSee examples of our Aged artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFramed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSelected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact our workshop\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"9x18in (23x45cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649451164039,"sku":null,"price":77.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"9x18in (23x45cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649451196807,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"9x18in (23x45cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649451229575,"sku":null,"price":221.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x24in (30x60cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649451262343,"sku":null,"price":144.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x24in (30x60cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649451295111,"sku":null,"price":288.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x24in (30x60cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649451327879,"sku":null,"price":308.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x36in (40x90cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649451360647,"sku":null,"price":169.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x36in (40x90cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649451393415,"sku":null,"price":480.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x36in (40x90cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649451426183,"sku":null,"price":500.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22x45in (56x114cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649451458951,"sku":null,"price":231.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22x45in (56x114cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649451491719,"sku":null,"price":816.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22x45in (56x114cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649451524487,"sku":null,"price":816.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22x50in (56x127cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649451557255,"sku":null,"price":423.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22x50in (56x127cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649451590023,"sku":null,"price":1527.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"22x50in (56x127cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649451622791,"sku":null,"price":1527.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"27x60in (70x150cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649451655559,"sku":null,"price":567.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"27x60in (70x150cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649451688327,"sku":null,"price":2640.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"27x60in (70x150cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649451721095,"sku":null,"price":2448.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x70in (80x178cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67649451753863,"sku":null,"price":807.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x70in (80x178cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67649451786631,"sku":null,"price":3600.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x70in (80x178cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67649451819399,"sku":null,"price":3360.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/0344\/8638\/files\/file_d0a71d67-be01-4234-9196-5b508c3e5a4e.jpg?v=1791388772","url":"https:\/\/uniquemaps.ca\/es\/products\/balsam-vintage-quinquina-aperitif-poster-1920","provider":"The Unique Maps Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}