Published in 1905, the anonymous commercial poster ’t Wit Stoopke – Elixir De Kempenaar unfolds across an unusually broad horizontal composition. An elderly woman in a black bonnet raises a glass at the left, while a younger man in a dark hat answers her gesture from the right. Between them stand the advertised bottles, their ornate labels forming the visual and commercial centre of the design. Warm browns, orange and gold are enlivened by mauve, beige and leafy green, giving the scene the immediate, theatrical clarity demanded of street and shopfront advertising.

The poster belongs to a period in which printed publicity was becoming an increasingly sophisticated part of everyday visual culture. Around the turn of the twentieth century, beverage advertisements no longer relied on names and slogans alone: recognisable packaging, engaging characters and decorative imagery combined to give products a distinct identity. Here, the convivial act of drinking becomes a miniature narrative. The two figures differ in age and demeanour, yet their mirroring glasses connect them across the composition, presenting the beverage as something shared and socially familiar.

A closer look

The elderly woman is rendered with particular attention to expression. Fine lines around her eyes and mouth lend her face a thoughtful, faintly appraising air, as though she is pausing to consider the drink. Her dark bonnet and clothing create a dense silhouette against the softer background, directing attention towards the small glass in her hand. Beside her, the tall bottle labelled ’t Wit Stoopke carries elaborate lettering, decorative flourishes and a conspicuous red seal—details that make the container itself a memorable emblem.

On the opposite side, the young man provides a livelier counterpoint. His face is brighter, his expression more animated, and the strong shape of his hat reinforces the poster’s emphatic outlines. A second bottle, marked De Kempenaar, stands near him. The figures and bottles are arranged with little illusionistic recession; instead, they read as a sequence of bold, immediately legible forms, ideally suited to being understood at a glance.

Across the upper part of the design, clusters of grapes and overlapping green leaves weave the separate elements together. Their curves soften the upright bottles and frame the drinkers with a suggestion of abundance. Below, a row of small stemmed glasses repeats the central drinking motif in miniature. The principal wording is integrated into this graphic structure: “VAN ’T WIT STOOPKE” appears in assertive white lettering towards the lower centre, while “DE KEMPENAAR” anchors the right-hand side. Shifts from rich purple to pale beige keep the background active without competing with the products or faces.

Context and significance

Its combination of bold lettering, flattened colour and characterful illustration places the poster firmly within the lively commercial print culture of the Belle Époque and fin-de-siècle era. Such advertising had a practical purpose, but its makers drew upon the same decorative instincts that shaped contemporary posters for entertainments, travel and consumer goods. The long format is especially effective: rather than presenting a single monumental figure, it creates an exchange, allowing the eye to travel from one raised glass to the other by way of the prominently labelled bottles.

Although its designer remains anonymous, ’t Wit Stoopke – Elixir De Kempenaar demonstrates how assured early modern branding could be. Product names, packaging, human expression and ornamental grapevines work together as a single visual message. The result is both an advertisement and a spirited document of early twentieth-century graphic culture, rich in details that reward attention beyond its first burst of colour.

Choosing the right size and finish

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The model in the listing images is holding the undefined version of this art print.

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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.