Eugène Burnand’s 1896 poster Catz Elixir, Le Meilleur des Apéritifs, Catz & Zoon Van Pekela, Groningen turns the serving of a drink into a compact theatrical encounter. A woman leans in from the left towards a formally dressed, seated man, who raises a small glass with an expression poised between curiosity and approval. Between them, the table, bottle and glass establish the product at the centre of the exchange, while saturated reds, chestnut browns and touches of gold give the advertisement an immediate warmth.

Created to promote a Dutch aperitif brand, the poster belongs to the lively commercial visual culture of the late nineteenth century, when persuasive lettering and characterful illustration were increasingly combined to make products memorable at a glance. Burnand was a Swiss artist associated with a closely observed realist manner, working across painting and illustration. Here, his attention to facial expression, costume and social gesture gives the advertisement greater narrative substance than a simple display of bottle and brand.

A closer look

The composition is asymmetrical but carefully balanced. The standing woman occupies the upper left, her forward movement directing attention diagonally towards the man on the right. His seated pose is more contained, yet the lifted glass completes her gesture and links the two figures across the intervening table. This arrangement creates a persuasive visual sequence: presentation, consideration and implied enjoyment.

Burnand’s descriptive precision is especially apparent in the clothing. Fine lace-like detailing animates the woman’s dress, while her neatly arranged hair and composed posture contribute to the scene’s air of polished sociability. The man’s dark formal attire provides a weightier mass on the opposite side. Small highlights on the translucent glass and glossy bottle punctuate the deeper tones, ensuring that the advertised drink remains conspicuous without disrupting the human interaction around it.

Typography forms an architectural frame for the scene. “CATZ ELIXIR” commands the upper portion in large lettering, followed by the assertive French slogan “le meilleur des apéritifs”. Below, “Catz & Zoon van Pekela, Groningen” identifies the company and place, while further commercial information runs along the lower edge, including a reference to the concessionaire for Belgium. Decorative borders, flourishes and accent lines contain the pictorial scene and give the poster the dense, finished character of period advertising.

Context and significance

The use of French is significant to the poster’s intended reach. Although the brand was associated with Groningen, the language and Belgian concessionaire details position Catz Elixir within a wider regional market. Rather than communicating through product information alone, the design presents the aperitif as part of a cultivated social ritual. The exchange between the two figures makes consumption appear conversational, courteous and pleasurable—an early example of advertising constructing an atmosphere around a brand rather than merely naming it.

Burnand’s realist instincts are central to the poster’s appeal. The figures are not reduced to flat emblems: their glances, gestures and differing poses create a small but legible drama. At the same time, bold lettering and broad areas of warm colour retain the directness demanded by commercial design. That meeting of pictorial observation and graphic urgency gives Catz Elixir its distinctive character, poised between illustrated narrative and emphatic brand image.

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The model in the listing images is holding the 36x24in (90x60cm) version of this art print.

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