Henry Jerome Schile’s Bock, ‘Auerbach’s Keller’, created in 1892, turns a tavern interior into a crowded theatrical spectacle. At its centre, a jovial man in brilliant red raises a foaming mug, his expansive gesture commanding the room. Around him, drinkers converse, servers circulate and figures descend a shadowed staircase, all contained within a warm, densely worked palette of russet brown, golden yellow and deep green. Beneath the scene, the emphatic word “BOCK” gives the convivial gathering the directness of a beverage poster.

The title locates this imagined revelry in Auerbach’s Keller, the celebrated Leipzig tavern given enduring literary fame by Goethe’s Faust. Schile, an American artist born in 1829, worked at a time when popular illustration drew freely upon literature, theatre, song and European folklore. Here, that cultural memory is harnessed to a commercial subject: Bock beer. The German word Bock also means a male goat, an association echoed by the goat’s head pictured on the tavern wall. The result is both advertisement and narrative entertainment, designed to reward a lingering look as well as communicate its message at a glance.

A closer look

The red-clad drinker forms the composition’s unmistakable pivot. His costume, with its broad sleeves and pale ruff, stands out sharply against the weathered stone wall, while highlights along his face, glass and clothing give him an almost stage-lit presence. Immediately around him, the patrons respond in different ways: one seated figure relaxes with a drink, another touches his head in a playful or bemused gesture, and two companions lean towards one another in close conversation. These overlapping poses create a lively chain of reactions rather than a single fixed tableau.

On the left, a woman in white balances a tray of drinks. Her light clothing provides a cool, pale interval among the heavier browns, oranges and reds, while the glassware catches small points of illumination. Higher in the composition, the staircase opens into a darker zone from which two figures appear to emerge. This angled entrance breaks the horizontal rhythm of the drinkers below and extends the action beyond the immediate room, suggesting that the gathering is still growing.

Schile fills even the quieter passages with incident. The masonry is articulated with uneven textures that imply an old cellar interior; a partially visible dog adds another note of disorderly sociability; and the framed goat’s head functions as both tavern decoration and a witty counterpart to the word “BOCK” below. The lettering itself is integrated into the poster’s hierarchy: large, bold and immediately legible, it anchors the busy figurative scene, while the smaller “Auerbach’s Keller” identifies the literary setting. A restrained border holds the abundance of figures, gestures and furnishings together.

Context and significance

Auerbach’s Keller was already centuries old when Goethe made it the setting for one of Faust’s best-known episodes, in which Faust and Mephistopheles encounter a company of drinkers. By the late nineteenth century, the tavern’s name carried associations of German literary culture, theatrical performance and convivial folklore. Schile’s poster does not require familiarity with the drama, however: its raised mug, animated faces and emphatic typography communicate celebration immediately, while the title supplies an additional layer for viewers who recognised the reference.

That combination of quick graphic impact and elaborate storytelling is what gives the design its distinctive period character. It belongs to a visual culture in which advertising could resemble a scene from the stage, populated with expressive characters and historical costume. The eye first meets the toast and the vivid red figure, then wanders outward through conversation, comic detail and shadowed architecture—a commercial image made memorable through atmosphere, narrative density and a particularly apt visual pun.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork 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.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every 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.

Framed 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.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.