Henry Jerome Schile’s The Roessle Brewery Boston, Bock, created in 1894, makes its appeal through a genial alliance of character, lettering and visual wit. A broadly smiling, moustachioed man raises a glass beside the head of a magnificently horned goat, while the brewery’s name and the word “Bock” sweep across the composition in emphatic decorative type. Warm browns, golden yellows and touches of deep green give the advertisement a rich, convivial character, heightened by the pale cream-to-peach ground.

Schile was an American artist active during the nineteenth century, when commercial lithography was becoming an increasingly sophisticated part of urban consumer culture. Advertisers no longer relied upon a plain name or label: illustration, typography and brand personality were brought together to compete for attention. This brewery promotion exemplifies that development. Its goat is more than an eccentric mascot, referring to a familiar visual pun: Bock is also the German word for a male goat, and goat imagery became closely associated with advertisements for the beer style.

A closer look

The principal figure occupies the central foreground, his smiling face and raised glass forming the poster’s human focus. Formal clothing lends him a prosperous air, but the effect is softened by his expressive moustache and expansive good humour. Small details reward attention: muted golden highlights catch his ring and cufflinks, while a patterned tie, decorative pin and carefully shaded lapels give his dark suit greater visual richness. Even the beer has been treated as a point of brilliance, its glass picked out against the surrounding earthier tones.

At the left, the goat presses close to the man rather than appearing as a distant emblem. Its curved horns create a strong looping silhouette, and the dense highlights and shadows of its fur contrast with the smoother treatment of the figure’s clothing and face. The animal’s lively expression introduces an element of comedy, turning what might have been a conventional endorsement scene into something memorable and slightly theatrical.

Typography carries almost as much weight as the figures. “The Roessle Brewery” dominates the upper section in ornate golden lettering, while “BOSTON” appears at the upper right in a smaller but assertive form. Below, the large, flowing script of “Bock” anchors the advertisement and echoes the curves of the goat’s horns. Decorative flourishes extend the lettering beyond its purely informational purpose, binding word and illustration into a single graphic performance. The asymmetric arrangement—figures gathered to one side, lettering expanding into the remaining space—keeps the eye moving rather than settling into a rigid central scheme.

Context and significance

By the 1890s, printed advertising had become a vivid arena for artistic invention. Breweries and other producers used richly styled promotional imagery to distinguish branded goods within an increasingly competitive market. Schile’s design belongs to this moment of confidence: it does not merely identify a brewery and beverage, but constructs an atmosphere of abundance, sociability and good humour. Its limited yet resonant palette also serves the message, with amber and gold recalling the drink itself while dark green lettering provides a firm graphic counterpoint.

The poster remains especially engaging because its salesmanship is carried by personality rather than explanation. The raised glass communicates pleasure, the goat supplies the joke, and the embellished lettering ensures that the brewery’s name remains inseparable from the scene. Together, these elements offer a lively glimpse of late nineteenth-century Boston advertising and of a period when commercial print could be at once direct, decorative and knowingly playful.

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 16x20in (40x50cm) 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.