Alcool de Menthe de Ricqles Poster – Ricqles Peppermint Alcohol Poster – Food & Drink Poster – Leonetto Cappiello

Alcool de Menthe de Ricqles Poster – Ricqles Peppermint Alcohol Poster – Food & Drink Poster – Leonetto Cappiello

This vintage Alcool de Menthe de Ricqles poster was originally published in 1924. It was created by the famous Italian-born, Parisian based artist Leonetto Cappiello for the Ricqles Mint Alcohol company. The strikingly, bold poster advertises the well-known peppermint cure-all. According to the poster the beverage offers Saveur fraiche – Parfum agréable – Hygiene parfaite or Fresh flavor – Pleasant fragrance – Perfect hygiene. This downplays many of the health benefits of both the early advertising and also today’s company messaging which suggests the minty medicinal can be used as an antiseptic and a breath freshener, as well as helping ease conditions such as  indigestion, ibs, skin conditions, headaches and migraines, cold and flu symptoms and nausea. It is also believed to relieve stomach-pains, and combat fatigue. It’s a A real-life cure-all. A medicinal mint spirit.

And it is spirit that the artist Cappiello has captured in his Ricqles girl. The young woman is running barefoot across a deep red background. She is full of energy, vigour and happiness. She certainly isn’t feeling under the weather. In fact she’s feeling so strong she can even carry a bottle of Alcool de Menthe de Ricqlès that is almost as tall as she is! Her red dress billows up around the tops of her legs. It looks like the petals on a flower. Her dress and her hair are adorned with sprigs of the peppermint ingredient.

Cappiello’s Alcool de Menthe de Ricqlès poster was created exactly one hundred years after the arrival of a young Dutchman named Samuel Heyman de Ricqles, to the city of Lyon. Heyman traded in silk and soon founded a silkworm breeding company in the French city.

Heyman’s work with silkworms and in particular the white mulberry tree, an essential food source for the breeding of the insects, gave Heyman de Ricqles with an infatuation with botany. He developed an infatuation with the peppermint that grew in Provence not far from his home. The health benefits of peppermint had been understood for several thousand years. Records from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt survive that tell of the plants use for digestive disorders and other conditions. Heyman wanted to see if he could use the plant to create a beneficial medicinal beverage.

After several years of experimentation, he finally managed to create his famous menthol alcohol in 1838. Heyman initially used the elixir for his own personal consumption. Trying it out then on close family and friends whonot only found its effects beneficial, also claimed to love the drinks fresh, strong and minty fragrance. Satisfied with the response, Heyman began to sell the menthol beverage in small sealed bottles . It was marketed as a fortifier to combat digestive disorders, bad breath, nausea, seasickness and migraines. The cure-all medicine was sold through pharmacies. Its success saw the silkworm enterprise swiftly abandoned in favor of this new creation.

In 1840, the south of France was affected by terrible floods. Heyman de Ricqlès decided to help and generously distributed his peppermint extract to a great number of people. For his help, he was awarded a medal of honour by the King of France. The award and the reason it was given provided great publicity for the company and helped spread the name of Ricqles Peppermint Extract. In 1849, Heyman de Ricqlès registered the patent related to his invention.

Ricqles Mint Alcohol is still produced today. Over its 180 years existence, the packaging may have gone through changes, but its secret formula has remained unchanged since its invention. It is now make by the Urgo group which brings together pharmaceutical companies present in around twenty countries. The reputation of Ricolès Peppermint Extract continues to spread in many countries to “Refresh the world”

Who is Leonetto Cappiello?

Leonetto Cappiello was an Italian graphic artist and pioneer of modern advertising. One of the truly great figures in the history of poster art, he is widely considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of commercial art. Cappiello’s unique style combines elements of satire, caricature, and art nouveau. His striking images were often controversial, but they always managed to capture the public’s attention. Cappiello’s work helped to popularise a number of products, including Perrier water, Campari liqueur, and Fiat automobiles. He also produced a number of iconic posters for the French railways. Today, Cappiello’s work is highly sought-after by collectors, and his posters are considered some of the most valuable in the world.

During the course of his remarkable career as one of the most successful poster designers of the 20th century, Leonetto Cappiello created more than 530 poster lithographs. His work still has a marked influence on graphic designers and poster artists to this day. His original posters are highly sought after and command high prices when they appear at auctions around the world.

We are ourselves huge fans of Leonetto Cappiello’s work and currently have almost 50 of Cappiello’s remarkable poster works available to buy on heritage-posters.co.uk and we add new ones regularly.

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