OutFront Minnesota – OutFront Minnesota Gala
Auction Ends: Nov 21, 2015 11:15 PM CST

Art

Leonetto Cappiello's Green Devil or Maurin Quina, Paris 1906

Item Number
105
Estimated Value
5000 USD
Opening Bid
1667 USD

Item Description

Maurin Quina (47"W X 62"H) is a French apéritif advertisement painted by Leonetto Cappiello in 1906. It is perhaps Cappiello's most famous poster. The image features a devilish figure sneakily de-corking the bottle; Cappiello used "infernal imagery" in several of his posters for alcohol.[1] The green devil in particular evokes la fée verte (the green fairy), the nickname for absinthe, a drink popular during theBelle Époque.[1] The product was banned by the French government shortly after it was released. This poster, however, is an advertisement for an alcoholic beverage that went out of production in 1906. Maurin is the brand name and Quina is the type of alcohol it is. The product has since been reintroduced to both the French and American marketplace, featuring Cappiello's poster as the label. It is cherry in flavor with a background of quinine. It is similar to a liqueur, but does not contain enough sugar content to legally be classified as one. Leonetto Cappiello was an Italian poster art designer who lived in Paris. His works were very effective in capturing the viewer's attention and holding it. In fact, he is now often called 'the father of modern advertising' because of his innovation in poster design. 

Item Special Note

If purchased, winning bidder is responsible for picking up the item from the OutFront office in Minneapolis, bringing it home the night of the auction, or having it shipped. Please contact aaron@outfront.org to schedule a pick up.