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Original 1901 Bitter Campari Poster – Hohenstein Art Nouveau
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Campari

PP227

Original vintage Bitter Campari poster designed by Adolfo Hohenstein in 1901.

  • Year : 1901
  • Country of the poster : Italy
  • Condition : excellent
  • Presentation : on linen
  • Poster designer : Adolfo Hohenstein
  • Printer : Arti Grafiche Galileo, Milan
  • Printing process : lithography
  • Signed : yes
€3,250
No tax
Dimensions
  • Smaller Array
About 2 inches more on each side for the covering *

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A rare masterpiece at the crossroads of Art Nouveau and Italian advertising history

At the dawn of the 20th century, as Italy embraced the aesthetic revolutions of the Belle Époque, a Milanese house — Campari — launched a bold visual campaign. This poster, created around 1901 by Adolfo Hohenstein, one of the founding fathers of modern Italian poster art, embodies a turning point where the image became a powerful tool for both commercial appeal and cultural expression.

Hohenstein, a German-born artist based in Milan, was a central figure in the Stile Liberty movement (the Italian expression of Art Nouveau). He collaborated with leading institutions of his time, including the renowned Officine Grafiche Ricordi and later Arti Grafiche Galileo, the printing house responsible for this work.

The composition shows two refined gentlemen enjoying a glass of Bitter Campari, in a scene of stylish café society. The oval framing, bold use of contrasting colors (red, yellow, olive green), and stylized figures reflect the visual elegance of the period and the refined urban lifestyle of early 20th-century Italy.

This poster is not merely a commercial piece — it captures a lifestyle, a cultural identity, and an artistic vision. It is also one of the early milestones of what would become one of the world’s most iconic Italian brands.

Note: this poster also exists with an additional, fairly prominent banner reading “Bitter Campari.” This banner increases the size of the poster to 100 x 200 cm, making it much more difficult to display.

Why this piece is exceptional

  • A landmark of early Italian advertising, predating Futurist and Deco styles.

  • Created by one of Europe’s foremost Art Nouveau poster artists, a contemporary of Toulouse-Lautrec and Mucha.

  • Rarely found on the market: original examples in good condition are highly sought-after.

  • Evokes the golden age of urban sophistication and ritualized leisure.

  • A key element of Campari’s avant-garde visual legacy, which would shape 20th-century advertising.

Original title
Bitter Campari
Year
1901
Country of the poster
Italy
Poster designer
Adolfo Hohenstein
Vintage poster
original
Printer
Arti Grafiche Galileo, Milan
Printing process
lithography
Actual size (inches)
39 X 55 inches
Condition
excellent
Presentation
on linen
Signed
yes
Brand
Campari

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