{"product_id":"van-velsen-brewery-vintage-beer-poster-by-armand-rassenfosse-1896","title":"Van Velsen Brewery Vintage Beer Poster by Armand Rassenfosse, 1896","description":"\u003cp\u003eArmand Rassenfosse’s \u003cem\u003eGrande Brasserie Van Velsen frères. Bornhem\u003c\/em\u003e, dated 1896, gives a brewery advertisement the poised assurance of a society portrait. A red-haired woman occupies the centre of the tall composition, lifting a transparent glass to her lips with an unhurried, almost ceremonial air. Around her, emphatic red lettering and a warm range of cream, russet and orange turn a simple act of drinking into an immediately legible commercial message.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster belongs to the sophisticated advertising culture of fin-de-siècle Belgium, a period in which the boundary between fine art and commercial design was notably fluid. Artists regularly produced advertisements, trade cards and other promotional graphics, bringing close observation and decorative discipline to material intended for public circulation. Rassenfosse, a Belgian artist and printmaker known for illustration and lithography, was particularly well equipped for this world: here, clarity of communication is matched by a distinctly elegant treatment of figure, lettering and colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition is organised around a carefully controlled exchange between words and figure. “GRANDE BRASSERIE” stretches across the upper field in substantial red capitals, establishing the nature of the enterprise before the eye settles on the woman below. The Van Velsen name and Bornhem return prominently near the lower edge, effectively enclosing the central figure between two bands of information. Slight shadowing gives the letters additional weight without disturbing the poster’s predominantly flat, graphic character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRassenfosse crops the woman closely, concentrating attention on her face, hand and raised glass. Her reddish-brown hair and softly modelled skin stand out against a pale beige ground, while the orange and russet tones of her clothing deepen the warmth of the palette. The sleeves appear full and textural, lending the figure volume within an otherwise shallow pictorial space. By contrast, the glass is treated with delicate transparency: faint reflections and changes of tone make it visible without allowing it to compete with the sitter’s expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe background contributes through restraint. Its gentle tonal transition provides a luminous setting rather than a fully described interior, removing anything that might distract from the drinker or the brewery’s name. Decorative detail is similarly reserved, appearing most noticeably along the base of the design. This balance of softness and force is central to the poster’s effect: the figure is intimate and serene, while the typography remains forthright enough to be read as advertising.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCommercial posters of the 1890s had to perform several tasks at once. They needed to command attention, identify a business quickly and associate that name with a memorable mood or social character. Rather than illustrating brewery production, buildings or industrial equipment, Rassenfosse focuses on the experience of consumption. The composed female figure supplies the advertisement with refinement and human immediacy, presenting the Grande Brasserie Van Velsen frères as a polished modern enterprise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe design also reflects the broader decorative ambitions of Art Nouveau-era visual culture without sacrificing practical directness. Curving contours, warm colour and an elegantly staged figure coexist with a firm typographic hierarchy. What remains especially compelling is this tension between portrait-like intimacy and public display: a quiet sip becomes the still centre of a bold promotional composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoosing the right size and finish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop for advice\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee examples of personalised artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/sepia-aged-maps\"\u003eSee examples of our Aged artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFramed 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSelected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact our workshop\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67640645681543,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67640645714311,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":67640645747079,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Art print","offer_id":67640645779847,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":67640645812615,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed 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