Advertising Poster for Red Wine (1880–1910), an anonymous design dated to around 1880, places a smiling woman at the centre of an abundant vinous tableau. Crowned with grape leaves and clusters of fruit, she raises a glass of red wine against a glowing crimson ground. The close vertical composition gives the figure an immediate presence: her face, the reflective bowl of the glass and the encircling foliage form a compact arrangement of warm skin tones, deep reds and vigorous greens.

The poster belongs to the lively commercial print culture of the late nineteenth century, when advances in colour lithography helped transform advertising into a conspicuous feature of public life. Images needed to communicate rapidly, often from a distance, and this design relies on a memorable personification rather than a detailed account of the product. Its grape-crowned figure recalls the festive imagery associated with wine and Bacchic abundance, translating an older decorative tradition into the direct visual language of modern promotion.

A closer look

The woman’s face provides the composition’s calm centre. Her gaze is direct and her expression warmly animated, with a delicate blush across the cheeks and soft shadows giving volume to the forehead, nose and chin. Her hair falls loosely around her shoulders, partially merging with the wreath above. The crown itself is more than an accessory: green leaves, finely articulated with visible veins, spread outwards to frame her head, while grapes in green and reddish tones repeat the colours of the wine and background.

The raised glass introduces a second focal point just below the face. Bright highlights trace its rim and curved surface, making the vessel appear transparent while allowing the saturated red of the wine to remain visually emphatic. The hand holding it is poised rather than forceful, turning a commercial gesture into something closer to a toast. At the lower edge, folds of pale pink drapery gather around the shoulders and collarbone, creating a gentle transition between the figure’s skin and the more assertive colours surrounding her.

Much of the poster’s effect comes from the opposition of red and green. The background shifts through rich crimson and warmer orange-red tones, while the foliage supplies cooler, sharply defined accents. Against this contrast, the face appears especially luminous. Depth is created through overlapping layers—the glass before the body, hair beneath foliage, grapes projecting around the crown—while the comparatively flat background keeps the message clear and immediate.

Context and significance

Late nineteenth-century beverage advertising frequently joined appetite with aspiration, presenting food and drink through figures suggestive of hospitality, pleasure or plenty. Here, the woman does not occupy a recognisable domestic or social setting. Instead, she functions almost as an emblem of wine itself, surrounded by the raw material of its making and holding the finished drink towards the spectator. This compression of subject and message is characteristic of poster design at its most effective: natural detail, theatrical colour and an approachable human presence are made legible in a single glance.

Although its maker is unrecorded, the design retains the assurance of an accomplished commercial illustrator. Small observations—the shine on the glass, the veining of the leaves and the subdued pink fabric—reward close attention, while the broad red field and centrally framed face preserve the poster’s original visual force. It is both a persuasive advertisement and a vivid document of the moment when colour printing made the street poster an increasingly ambitious form of popular art.

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.