Conrad Stein’s Lager Bier, created by Wittemann Bros. in 1877, turns a New York beer advertisement into an exuberant pageant of heraldry, theatre and ornamental lettering. At its centre, a richly dressed, bearded figure raises a foaming stein while standing upon a globe; beside him, a smaller character in jester-like costume adds a note of comic ceremony. Saturated reds and glowing oranges are set against pale areas of white, while scrollwork, drapery and foliage press in from the margins, giving the vertically arranged design the splendour of a festive proclamation.

The poster belongs to a period in which American breweries and beverage makers were making increasingly ambitious use of pictorial advertising. Wittemann Bros., a nineteenth-century American lithographic firm, specialised in the kind of eye-catching commercial imagery that could make a brand name memorable amid a crowded marketplace. Here, practical information is embedded within spectacle: the product is not merely named but surrounded by suggestions of abundance, authority and celebration. The result is characteristic of late Victorian graphic culture, where elaborate typography and narrative illustration often worked together rather than occupying separate parts of a design.

A closer look

The visual hierarchy begins with the large words “CONRAD STEIN’S” across the upper section. The letters are heavily ornamented, with curling flourishes that link them to the surrounding decorative framework. Below, the principal figure forms the poster’s strongest vertical accent. His beard, patterned clothing and broadly modelled folds introduce a degree of dimensionality into an otherwise emphatically graphic arrangement of flat, brilliant colour. The raised beer stein provides the essential commercial cue, but its placement also gives the figure the air of making a ceremonial toast.

Around him, the design accumulates smaller theatrical details. Draped fabric creates a stage-like backdrop, while an eagle motif reinforces the heraldic character of the composition. Ivy garlands soften the outer edges with repeated leaf forms, their changing greens and dark contours providing a cooler counterpoint to the dominant scarlet and orange. The attendant at the left disrupts the central symmetry: smaller in scale and more playful in dress, he gives the scene the flavour of a court entertainment rather than a conventional product display.

Further down, “LAGER BIER” appears in broad, curving lettering, followed by the more restrained place name “NEW YORK”. Two circular vignettes of brewery buildings sit within the lower decorative scheme. These compact architectural views reward closer attention: framed almost like medallions, they introduce the world of manufacture beneath the fanciful central performance. The eye consequently travels from brand name to figure, from raised stein to product wording, and finally to the brewery itself—a carefully controlled sequence disguised by visual abundance.

Context and significance

Advertising of this period frequently borrowed the visual languages of fine art, popular theatre, heraldry and decorative design. Conrad Stein’s Lager Bier is especially engaging because it does not settle for a straightforward view of a bottle, glass or brewery. Instead, it constructs an entire comic realm around the drink, combining royal costume, a globe, an eagle and ornamental borders into an image of worldly festivity. Such elements need not be read as literal narrative; their purpose lies in the atmosphere of distinction and conviviality they create around the name.

The poster’s dense embellishment also reveals how typography functioned as illustration in nineteenth-century commercial art. Words swell, curve and acquire their own visual weight, competing amiably with the figures rather than simply labelling them. Bold enough to communicate at a glance yet sufficiently intricate to sustain prolonged looking, Wittemann Bros.’ design remains a lively record of the moment when brewery promotion became an especially imaginative branch of American graphic culture.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

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The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this art print.

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This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.