Wittouck Schiedam Genièvre, an anonymous advertising poster from 1910, builds its message around a single towering green bottle. Set within a pale circular field and surrounded by a red-and-black chequerboard, the bottle appears at once solid and monumental. Large block lettering gives the brand name almost architectural weight, while the limited palette—bottle green, emphatic red, dense black and creamy white—makes the design legible with remarkable immediacy.

The poster belongs to a period in which commercial advertising was becoming an increasingly sophisticated form of public visual culture. Rather than relying on extensive description, its anonymous designer uses scale, typography and ornamental display to associate Wittouck’s Dutch gin with distinction and established quality. The reference to Schiedam would have carried particular relevance: the Dutch city had long been closely associated with the production of genever, the juniper-flavoured spirit identified here by the French spelling “genièvre”. “Bruxelles” places the advertisement within a French-speaking Belgian commercial setting, connecting Dutch distilling tradition with the Brussels market.

A closer look

At the top, “WITTOUCK” stretches across the width of the composition in heavy black capitals. Its blunt, commanding geometry contrasts with the rounded opening below, where the bottle is isolated against white. This pale enclosure acts almost like a spotlight, separating the product from the restless pattern at the edges. The chequerboard is more than a decorative border: alternating blocks of scarlet and black create a strong optical rhythm, directing attention repeatedly back towards the calm vertical axis of the bottle.

The bottle itself is represented with greater tonal nuance than its surroundings. Dark green areas establish its mass, while lighter accents suggest the reflective surface of glass. Its long neck, narrow shoulders and visible closure form a distinctive silhouette that remains clear even at a distance. The principal label introduces a finer register of detail, including ornamental imagery suggestive of swans and classical architecture. These small motifs reward closer inspection without weakening the force of the overall design.

Below the bottle, “SCHIEDAM – GENIÈVRE” states both origin and product in forceful lettering, with “BRUXELLES” appearing beneath at a smaller scale. This descending hierarchy—from brand, to bottle, to the nature and market of the drink—allows the poster to be read almost instantly. Slight changes in letter weight prevent the text from becoming monotonous, while the thin dark border holds the vivid pattern securely within the upright format.

Context and significance

Early twentieth-century beverage posters often had to communicate in busy streets, cafés and retail settings, where clarity mattered as much as ornament. Here, pictorial depth is deliberately reduced: broad areas of flat colour, crisp boundaries and oversized lettering replace any elaborate narrative scene. The result reflects a decisive shift towards branding through memorable visual identity. Wittouck’s bottle is not presented as one object among many, but as an emblem surrounded by its own carefully constructed graphic world.

What gives the design its continuing interest is the tension between restraint and visual exuberance. There are few elements, yet each is pushed to maximum effect: one bottle, one enveloping circle, one insistent pattern and a compact sequence of words. The poster preserves the directness of an advertisement while offering a particularly vivid example of how colour, type and repetition shaped consumer attention in the commercial art of 1910.

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 36x24in (90x60cm) 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.