Vin Mariani poster – Jules Cheret – 1894

Vin Mariani, Popular French Tonic Wine poster – Jules Cheret – 1894

This is a great reproduction of one of Jules Chéret’s most popular posters. It was originally created in 1894 to advertise the ‘popular French tonic wine’. The drink, that is believed to have inspired John Stith Pemberton’s similar beverage Coca-Cola, was created in the 1860s by French chemist Angelo Mariani.

Mariani combined ground-up coca leaves with red Bordeaux wine, to create his beverage. The combination of up to 15% alcohol coupled with 60 grams of ground coca leaves created the elixir. The product was marketed as a digestif, an aperitif and a general cure-all. Advertising posters for Vin Mariani claimed the beverage would restore health, strength, energy and vitality. A proper ‘dose’ of Vin Mariani was two to three glassfuls per day, taken before or after meals (halved for children!).

Mariani marketed Vin Mariani for a number of ailments, touting its ability to increase energy, appetite and mood. It was promoted as a performance enhancer for creatives and athletes alike, and was endorsed by many notable people of its time. Mariani solicited testimonials from a broad range of European celebrities, including members of various royal families, politicians, artists, writers and film stars of the day. Vin Mariani was a huge hit! It soon became extremely popular with the public with the wine and coca tonic taking Mariani’s hometown of Paris by storm.

This extract from the proofdrinks website explains “Mariani’s wine and coca tonic took his home city of Paris by storm, and then, the rest of Europe and the U.S. Seizing on the opportunity, Mariani opened offices in London, New York and Montreal. To support demand for his product in the U.S. he opened a second laboratory in New York. Vin Mariani had many competitors and imitators, but a shrewd, celebrity-driven marketing campaign earned him millions of dollars worth of sales. While Mariani’s ads claimed that thousands of doctors endorsed the product, it was the celebrity endorsers who really pushed the elixir. The ads he ran in newspapers and magazines featured countless politicians, actors, writers and religious leaders, all extolling the many virtues of Vin Mariani. Devotees of the drink included Alexander Dumas, Emile Zola, Presidents William McKinley and Ulysses S. Grant, and countless monarchs including Queen Victoria of England. In addition, actress Sarah Bernhardt and Pope Leo XIII (who gave him a Gold Medal!) were among the many who actually appeared in advertisements. Prominent graphic artists, such as Cheret and Robida, were commissioned to produce graphics for those newspaper advertisements. The same artists were paid to draw posters that were displayed around Paris.

The success of Mariani’s drink inspired many copy-cat drinks. But it was Dr John Stith Pemberton’s own French Wine Cola that would go on to be the biggest success. In 1885 the General Local Option Liquor Law in was passed making changes to the alcohol laws. Soon French Wine Coca was illegal. Ironically, because of the alcohol, not the cocaine. Pemberton replaced the wine with a sugar syrup. His new non-alcoholic product Coca-Cola hit the streets in 1886.

Jules Cheret considered the poster to be of a high enough quality to reprint it as a poster and include it in his Maitres d’Affiches series as Plate 77. This plate is from the Maitres de l’Affiche (Masters of the Poster) collection one of 256 color lithographic plates delivered to monthly subscribers in sets of four beginning in 1895 and continuing through 1900. The collection was reproduced from the original posters of ninety-seven artists in a smaller 15 3/4 x 11 3/8 inch (40 x 29 cm) format. The individual plates were issued as separate numbered sheets, with the printer’s name, “Imprimerie Chaix,” in the margin at the bottom left-hand corner.

Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears, or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as a fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.

The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £12. So you can bag a bargain of print and frame for a great price.