“Absinthe Robette” is a color lithograph by the Belgian artist, Henri Privat-Livemont, from 1896. Trained as an interior decorator, Livemont is most remembered for his Art Nouveau style poster art.
In this piece, a woman is standing and holding up a glass of absinthe. Her red hair is pinned up and delicately framed by curls. She is wearing a sheer dress giving the viewer a more intimate view of her body. Her head is silhouetted by a full circle, reminiscent of a full moon. She stares up at the drink, mesmerized by the absinthe which is swirling as water droplets melt the sugar cube into the drink from the spoon atop the glass. The background has swirly smoky lines, reminiscent of what is happening in her drink. More formal decorative flowers line the left edge of the print.
This advertisement poster was commissioned by Zéphir Robette, a Belgian merchant who was in the tobacco and alcohol business. Robette purchased absinthe in bulk from Honoré Petitjean in eastern France, rebranded the alcohol under his name, and sold it in Brussels. Absinthe, an alcohol known as the “Green Fairy”, was quickly becoming very popular in Europe and was enjoyed by all social classes of people. This original poster was printed by J. L. des Presses de Goffart Lithographe based out of Brussels, Belgium.
Livemont was the preeminent Belgian artist working in the field of Art Nouveau and lithography. His works were well-received and were included in Les Maîtres de l’Affiche (Masters of the Poster) publications that were published by Jules Chéret in Paris, France, between 1896 and 1900. “Absinthe Robette” was printed in their 1898 publication as plate 104 of 256.
Museum quality copies of “Absinthe Robette” can be purchased in many places online. Original copies can also still be seen, such as in the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, France.
For more on Henri Privat-Livemont, please visit his short biography here: https://www.myddoa.com/artists/henri-privat-livemont/
