Wednesday’s ad is another one for Biere Paillette, from Brasserie Paillette in Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France. This one shows a woman with a beer in her hand, sitting on a wooden cask and floating high above an ocean sunrise (or is that sun setting?), with a large ocean liner coming toward us full steam ahead. What does all this imagery mean? I haven’t a clue. Does anyone?
Tuesday’s ad is for Paillette Speciale Pils, from Brasserie Paillette in Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France. The ad was created by Herve Morvan, who’s oftern referred to as The Genius of French Poster Art.
Monday’s ad is for Bieres de Longwy, a French beer, I believe. That’s a guess, but Longwy is in northeastern France. Why doesn’t every pint of beer have such a lovely woman swimming in it?
Today’s artwork is another painting by one of the world’s most well-known artists, Vincent Van Gogh. This one is a portrait entitled Agostina Segatori Sitting in the Café du Tambourin, completed in 1887. Today it hangs in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Holland.
Here’s how Wikipedia describes the work:
In the painting Agostina, a woman in her forties, can be seen smoking a cigarette while having her second glass of beer, evidenced by two saucers under the mug of beer. In demeanor and style, such as her clothing, make-up and hairstyle, she is a modern woman. She is wearing a fashionable hat. According to the style at the time, her jacket is a different design than her dress. A parasol sits on one of the seats next to her.
Van Gogh used the theme of a woman sitting at a small table, introduced by Impressionists, such as Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet. The table and stools were in the shape of tambourines, befitting the café’s theme. On the wall behind her are Van Gogh’s Japanese prints, which he began exhibiting at the café in February, 1887. The brightly colored painting and confident subject represent a shift in Van Gogh’s attitude, in comparison to his previous subjects, such as were dark, tragic peasants.
And apparently Van Gogh was very familiar with both the Café du Tambourin and its owner, Agostina Segatori, who had also been a model for Edouard Manet, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and other artists. More from Wikipedia:
[The Café du Tambourin] was a gathering spot for Parisian artists, a place where their work was exhibited. Van Gogh, unable to pay in cash for his meals, exchanged paintings for meals. The paintings then adorned the restaurant. He held a special exhibit of his Japanese prints in the café as well. His connection with Agostina and the cafe came to a sad end when she went bankrupt and Van Gogh’s paintings were confiscated by creditors. This painting, however, demonstrates an artistic discovery that culminated in his unique, creative style not quite on the brink of being understood and revered.
I can’t tell if she’s trying to relax after a long day, or having a quick smoke and a coiple of beers in order to face her shift behind the bar. Based on the expression on her face, it could be either.
For more about Vincent Van Gogh, Wikipedia is a good place to start, though there’s even more at the Vincent Van Gogh Gallery, which has a complete list of his works. There are also tons of links at the ArtCyclopedia and another biography at the Web Museum.
Monday’s ad is still one more by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverages and brands. This is the fifth of his I’ve featured, and it’s for a presumably French beer brand, Grande Brasserie D’Arcueil. On a particularly hot day, the server appears to be licking the beer foam on the side of the glass as he delivers a giant mug of beer.
Friday’s ad is yet another by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverages and brands. This is the fourth of his I’ve featured, and it’s for a presumably French beer brand, Biere de L’Eclair. Since fizzy yellow beer is sometimes referred to as piss water, I wonder if the horse licking the mug of beer is related to that idea? Nah, probably not, especially with the dog at the man’s feet begging for any beer that might drips down the sides of his mug.
Today’s work of art is by the social realist French artist Marcel Gromaire, and the majority of his ouvre depicted characters in social settings. Our featured painting is no exception, and it shows a pair of men enjoying some pints of beer in a pub, inn or cafe. The title of the work is The Beer Drinkers, which Gromaire painted in 1924. Today it hangs in the Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
Here’s one analysis of the painting:
Marcel Gromaire was decidedly northern in his style, and after 1918, became one of the foremost practitioners of what could be called Expressionist Cubism. In this genre scene, he depicts beer drinkers smoking pipes in a rundown cafe. The simplified forms, the exaggerated features, the geometric construction and the restrained colours are all characteristic of this expressive painting.
To learn more about Marcel Gromaire, you can start with Wikipedia and there are a few more of his works on ArtNet and Scholars Resource. ArtCyclopedia has many more links, as well.
Today’s work of art is by the prolific French artist Edouard Manet, and this is the fourth time I”ve featured a beer-themed work of art by him. This one is a pastel created in 1878. It’s known as Two Women Drinking Bocks. Today, the original is part of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, Scotland.
It’s one of his lesser-known works and I’ve been unable to find much specific information about it. But’s a beautifully intimate portrait of a simple scene; two friends sharing a beer. And I love the way the piece is pulled together with the bright blue color that seems to glow, both on the women’s clothing and the stripes on the wall.
To learn more about Edouard Manet, you can start with Wikipedia and there’s also a nice biography at the Impressionniste. The Art Archive or the ArtCyclopedia are both good places to see more of his work. Also the Edouard Manet Gallery purports to have a complete gallery of his works, as does WikiPaintings.
Tuesday’s ad is another by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverages and brands. This is the third of his I’ve featured, and it’s for a presumably French beer brand, Biere de Chartres.
Tuesday’s ad is an another old classic, by Eugene Oge, a French illustrator who did a number of great beer adverts during his lifetime from 1861-1936. He was a major figure in the Belle Epoque and did many outstanding ads for resorts, food, and all sorts of beverages and brands. This is the second of his I’ve featured, the first being Biere au Diable. This one, Biere Du Lion, I think was a Wallonian brand, from Brasserie Vervifontaine? I love the expression on the drinking fat man.
