Leonetto Cappiello’s distinctive “Absinthe” advertisements radiate a contagious sense of the carefree abandon and unbridled joy that its controversial product evoked. Born in Italy, Cappiello (1875 – 1942), originally a caricaturist, became an innovator of advertising poster techniques, creating nearly 1000 posters and the most acclaimed European artist of the early 1900s. A master advertiser, Cappiello shrewdly used the playful simplicity of bold colors and exuberant, anonymous figures to entice potential customers. This technique was quite successful and caused viewers to associate the products he was advertising with his unique images.

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