Balsam Vintage Aperitif Poster by Frederik Stocks May, 1917
Opera d’arte autentica
L’opera d’arte che stampiamo è fedelmente restaurata dalla fonte originale - solitamente un museo, una biblioteca o una collezione privata. Non sostituiamo mai, ridisegniamo o inventiamo l’opera dell’artista usando l’IA generativa.
Restaurata nel nostro laboratorio di Londra dall’opera originale del 1917 e stampata in qualità museale. Descrizione completa
L’offerta del Collezionista
Scegli due opere idonee e ricevi il 20% di sconto su entrambe. Scegline tre e quella al prezzo più basso è in omaggio, con un risparmio massimo del 33%.
Abbina liberamente mappe standard idonee e stampe d’arte fine art. Non è richiesto alcun codice; l’offerta viene applicata automaticamente al checkout.
Sono incluse le configurazioni standard su ordinazione. Sono esclusi formati su misura, design personalizzati e lavori su commissione.
Hai bisogno di consegne a indirizzi diversi? Contattaci prima di effettuare l’ordine.L’offerta del Collezionista
Scegli due opere idonee e ricevi il 20% di sconto su entrambe. Scegline tre e quella al prezzo più basso è in omaggio, con un risparmio massimo del 33%.
Abbina liberamente mappe standard idonee e stampe d’arte fine art. Non è richiesto alcun codice; l’offerta viene applicata automaticamente al checkout.
Sono incluse le configurazioni standard su ordinazione. Sono esclusi formati su misura, design personalizzati e lavori su commissione.
Hai bisogno di consegne a indirizzi diversi? Contattaci prima di effettuare l’ordine.
Restaurato a Londra • Stampato e incorniciato in Canada
Opera d’arte autentica
L’opera d’arte che stampiamo è fedelmente restaurata dalla fonte originale - solitamente un museo, una biblioteca o una collezione privata. Non sostituiamo mai, ridisegniamo o inventiamo l’opera dell’artista usando l’IA generativa.
Restaurata dall’opera originale del 1917 e stampata in qualità museale. Descrizione completa
Scegli il formato
Scegli la finitura
(Maggiori informazioni)
Gift message & custom finish
If you want to add a gift message, or a finish (jigsaw, aluminium board, etc.) that is not available here, please request it in the "order note" when you check out.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
You can also contact us before you order, if you prefer!
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Frederik Stocks May’s Balsam Apéritif, created in 1917, turns the serving of a drink into a crisp theatrical encounter. Against an uninterrupted...
Continua a leggereFrederik Stocks May’s Balsam Apéritif, created in 1917, turns the serving of a drink into a crisp theatrical encounter. Against an uninterrupted field of deep blue, a smiling waiter presents a glass to an elegantly dressed woman in vivid red. The figures, bottle and lettering are arranged in broad, sharply contrasting areas of colour, giving the advertisement an immediacy that could be grasped at a glance. Gold-toned words at the top announce “BALSAM” and “APÉRITIF”, while the prominently placed bottle in the lower left makes the commercial subject unmistakable.
Stocks May, an English artist born in 1892, worked here in the polished language of early twentieth-century advertising. Posters of this kind had to reconcile two demands: the direct communication of a brand and the creation of a desirable social world around it. Rather than showing the beverage in isolation, the design associates Balsam with attentive service, fashionable dress and a poised moment of sociability. Its sophistication lies in that economy—product, name and atmosphere are delivered through a small number of carefully controlled forms.
A closer look
The upper half is structured around the exchange between the two figures. At the left, the waiter leans towards his customer with a broadly drawn smile, his white shirt and black bow tie standing out cleanly against the blue. A tray extends horizontally between them, carrying a small, prism-like glass whose pale highlights suggest transparency. This narrow horizontal element acts almost like a bridge, joining the waiter’s forward movement to the woman’s composed, seated pose.
On the right, the woman’s red dress provides the poster’s strongest chromatic accent. Her black hat and softly waved hair frame a face turned towards the approaching drink, while the lightly indicated chair prevents the setting from becoming visually crowded. There is little conventional modelling: volume is conveyed through selected outlines and restrained patches of shading, particularly around the waiter’s waistcoat. The result is graphic rather than illusionistic, with gesture and silhouette doing most of the descriptive work.
The oversized bottle at the lower left forms a second visual anchor. Its dark body rises into the scene beneath the waiter, and the label repeats the Balsam name in white and red. This repetition is central to the design’s hierarchy: the eye encounters the brand in the large gold lettering above, then again on the container below. Orange-gold typography, red clothing, white details and dark outlines all gain intensity from the surrounding blue, while the generous areas of unoccupied background preserve clarity and keep the composition buoyant.
Context and significance
Created during a period when illustrated posters were an established part of urban commercial culture, Balsam Apéritif demonstrates how advertising could borrow the elegance and compositional discipline of contemporary illustration. Its flat colour, emphatic typography and simplified setting are practical devices, but they also give the scene its distinctive modernity. Nothing extraneous competes with the central proposition: a named drink, attractively served, within a world of cultivated leisure.
The poster remains engaging because its sales message is inseparable from its visual wit. The tiny glass, poised between two animated figures, becomes the fulcrum of the entire arrangement, while the much larger bottle below quietly reveals what the conversation is really about. Stocks May’s design is both cordial and controlled—a compact example of how early twentieth-century graphic artists made commercial communication memorable through colour, character and exact visual emphasis.
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.
Frederik Stocks May’s Balsam Apéritif, created in 1917, turns the serving of a drink into a crisp theatrical encounter. Against an uninterrupted field of deep blue, a smiling waiter presents a glass to an elegantly dressed woman in vivid red. The figures, bottle and lettering are arranged in broad, sharply contrasting areas of colour, giving the advertisement an immediacy that could be grasped at a glance. Gold-toned words at the top announce “BALSAM” and “APÉRITIF”, while the prominently placed bottle in the lower left makes the commercial subject unmistakable.
Stocks May, an English artist born in 1892, worked here in the polished language of early twentieth-century advertising. Posters of this kind had to reconcile two demands: the direct communication of a brand and the creation of a desirable social world around it. Rather than showing the beverage in isolation, the design associates Balsam with attentive service, fashionable dress and a poised moment of sociability. Its sophistication lies in that economy—product, name and atmosphere are delivered through a small number of carefully controlled forms.
A closer look
The upper half is structured around the exchange between the two figures. At the left, the waiter leans towards his customer with a broadly drawn smile, his white shirt and black bow tie standing out cleanly against the blue. A tray extends horizontally between them, carrying a small, prism-like glass whose pale highlights suggest transparency. This narrow horizontal element acts almost like a bridge, joining the waiter’s forward movement to the woman’s composed, seated pose.
On the right, the woman’s red dress provides the poster’s strongest chromatic accent. Her black hat and softly waved hair frame a face turned towards the approaching drink, while the lightly indicated chair prevents the setting from becoming visually crowded. There is little conventional modelling: volume is conveyed through selected outlines and restrained patches of shading, particularly around the waiter’s waistcoat. The result is graphic rather than illusionistic, with gesture and silhouette doing most of the descriptive work.
The oversized bottle at the lower left forms a second visual anchor. Its dark body rises into the scene beneath the waiter, and the label repeats the Balsam name in white and red. This repetition is central to the design’s hierarchy: the eye encounters the brand in the large gold lettering above, then again on the container below. Orange-gold typography, red clothing, white details and dark outlines all gain intensity from the surrounding blue, while the generous areas of unoccupied background preserve clarity and keep the composition buoyant.
Context and significance
Created during a period when illustrated posters were an established part of urban commercial culture, Balsam Apéritif demonstrates how advertising could borrow the elegance and compositional discipline of contemporary illustration. Its flat colour, emphatic typography and simplified setting are practical devices, but they also give the scene its distinctive modernity. Nothing extraneous competes with the central proposition: a named drink, attractively served, within a world of cultivated leisure.
The poster remains engaging because its sales message is inseparable from its visual wit. The tiny glass, poised between two animated figures, becomes the fulcrum of the entire arrangement, while the much larger bottle below quietly reveals what the conversation is really about. Stocks May’s design is both cordial and controlled—a compact example of how early twentieth-century graphic artists made commercial communication memorable through colour, character and exact visual emphasis.
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.
Molte delle nostre mappe e stampe d’arte vengono scelte come regali premurosi per case, uffici, studi e luoghi significativi.
Scegli un’opzione incorniciata per il regalo più semplice, pronto da appendere, oppure scegli una stampa non incorniciata se il destinatario preferisce selezionare la propria cornice.
Realizziamo gli ordini localmente in 23 paesi in tutto il mondo, così i regali possono spesso essere prodotti vicino al destinatario. Questo li aiuta ad arrivare più rapidamente, a viaggiare in maggiore sicurezza e a evitare sorprese legate a dazi doganali o di importazione.
- Possiamo consegnare direttamente al destinatario
- I pezzi incorniciati arrivano pronti da appendere
- Le stampe non incorniciate sono accuratamente imballate in un robusto tubo protettivo
- Quasi ogni ordine viene realizzato localmente, per regali più rapidi e sicuri
- Il reso entro 90 giorni dà al destinatario il tempo di decidere
Se non sei sicuro di cosa scegliere, ti invitiamo a contattarci. Possiamo aiutarti a scegliere la mappa, il formato, la finitura o l’opzione di consegna più adatti.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 24 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Lavoriamo con interior designer, realtà del settore hospitality, professionisti del settore immobiliare, uffici e acquirenti aziendali per singoli pezzi e progetti coordinati di più ampia portata.
Quest'opera può essere adattata a una specifica parete, stanza o progetto e il nostro laboratorio può aiutare a coordinare dimensioni, materiale e incorniciatura prima della produzione.
- Dimensioni precise, extra-large e su misura
- Incorniciatura personalizzata, montaggio e materiali alternativi
- Pezzi coordinati per più stanze o sedi
- Personalizzazione dell'opera, per regolarne il colore e lo stile
- Consulenza su arte e incorniciatura da parte del nostro laboratorio
- Produzione locale per progetti in tutto il mondo
Ogni stampa artistica restaurata inizia dall’opera originale dell’artista—mai da una sostituzione generata dall’IA.
Il nostro studio di Londra lavora a partire da materiali di origine accuratamente selezionati da musei, biblioteche, archivi e collezioni private. Restauriamo i danni dovuti all’età, i colori sbiaditi e le imperfezioni di riproduzione, preservando al contempo la composizione, il tratto del pennello, il segno, la texture e il carattere d’epoca dell’artista.
Non utilizziamo l’IA generativa per ridisegnare, reinterpretare o inventare l’opera. Il restauro digitale viene impiegato solo per recuperare e riprodurre l’opera originale nel modo più fedele possibile.
Una volta restaurata, l’opera master viene preparata per il formato e la finitura da te scelti. Il tuo pezzo viene quindi stampato e, se selezionato, incorniciato vicino alla destinazione di consegna.
Le nostre stampe artistiche giclée utilizzano carta opaca archivistica senza acidi da 200 g/m² e inchiostri pigmentati resistenti allo sbiadimento, per una finitura ricca e di qualità museale. Le stampe artistiche incorniciate utilizzano acrilico ottico cristallino e arrivano pronte da appendere.
Sono disponibili anche tele incorniciate ed edizioni speciali su cotone-rag. Scopri di più sui nostri materiali e finiture.
Restauriamo e produciamo mappe e stampe d’arte dal 1984, e garantiamo personalmente ogni pezzo.
Ogni ordine è coperto dalla nostra garanzia di 10 anni e dalla garanzia di consegna senza danni. Se il vostro pezzo arriva danneggiato, lo sostituiremo o lo rifaremo gratuitamente. Se qualsiasi altro aspetto non fosse conforme, contattate il nostro team di laboratorio e provvederemo tempestivamente a risolvere il problema.
Per tutti i dettagli, consultate la nostra politica su resi e rimborsi.
