CINZANO. 1950.

63x46 inches. De Plas.
Condition B+: repaired tears in margins, some affecting image.
Plastically speaking this masterpiece of lithography is certainly the most interesting of Carlu's post-war images. It is a contemporary re-working of the unofficial, endearing and enduring corporate emblem that Leonetto Cappiello had created for Cinzano in 1910; a blue and orange striped Zebra. Carlu has morphed the emblem into a cordial-sipping centaur, half zebra and half jockey, maintaining the corporate color scheme and showing the character lifting a glass of Cinzano. Carlu uses the ligne souple (supple line) which was inspired by surrealism and was the style he used while living in the United States during the war. He has added a sophisticated green halo to the dark background which ads a further element of excellence to this great poster. Carlu no. 76, Modern Publicity p. 38.