Date: 1914 (original, larger sized poster printed in 1898)
Size: 10.25 x 14 inches
Artist: Leopoldo Metlicovitz
About the artist: Leopoldo Metlicovitz became a painter and portraitist without any formal training. He came to Milan in 1891 and joined the Ricordi Printing house, quickly becoming it's technical director. He developed an original approach to light and shadow and became one of Italy's greatest Poster artists creating some of the most famous "Mele" designs among others.
About this piece: This beautiful poster belongs to the Portfolio "Gli Avvisi delle Officine G. Ricordi e C. Milano" (The Advertisements of the G. Ricordi & Co. Graphics Works, Milan) a famous and rare collection published around 1914, inspired by the famous French publication Les Maîtres de l'Affiche. The complete collection contains 70 color lithographic plates (chromolithographs) in a reduced size format. It represents an extraordinary testament to the golden age of the Italian advertising poster and Art Nouveau (Liberty style) graphics, closely tied to the world of opera and the Ricordi music publishing house.
Metlicovitz moves entirely away from standard kitchen or domestic culinary scenes. Instead, he leans into a powerful, allegorical display of strength and raw source material. The artwork dramatically portrays a muscular, heroic man wrestling a massive, powerful brown bull. Holding a gleaming gold whip or rod, the stylized figure confidently handles the beast, symbolizing humanity's triumph and the concentrated energy packed into the meat extract.
