Gérard Portielje’s Emile Leynen, Distillateur Hasselt, dating from 1910, turns the name of a Belgian distiller into a scene of expansive good fellowship. Three men crowd the foreground, glasses raised and faces animated by laughter. Their richly coloured historical dress—ruffled collars, full sleeves and contrasting red, brown and green fabrics—gives the gathering the air of an old tavern anecdote, while bottles and a substantial wooden barrel anchor the revelry firmly to the business being advertised.

Portielje was a Belgian artist known for closely observed scenes of everyday social life, often approached with warmth, polish and a sharp eye for character. Here those qualities are adapted to commercial graphic art. Rather than presenting a single formal likeness of Emile Leynen, the design associates his name with sociability, tradition and abundance. The reference to Hasselt is especially resonant: the Belgian city has a long association with jenever, the juniper-flavoured spirit central to the region’s distilling culture. The poster therefore draws upon a recognisable local identity as well as the convivial rituals surrounding drink.

A closer look

The composition is compact and deliberately theatrical. The three figures form a loose triangle, their heads and lifted glasses creating a lively sequence across the centre. Each man responds to the others rather than facing outward as an isolated spokesman: glances, gestures and open expressions make the scene feel caught at the height of a toast. Bright illumination catches foreheads, cheeks, white ruffles and the rims of the glasses, bringing the figures forward from the deeper brown tones behind them.

Colour helps to distinguish the tightly interlocked bodies. Warm scarlet and russet passages are set against cooler green garments, with crisp areas of white around collars and cuffs punctuating the darker ensemble. Portielje pays particular attention to costume: folded fabric, ornamental accessories and voluminous sleeves lend the figures a period character without sacrificing their immediacy. The result is less a remote historical tableau than a boisterous encounter staged for instant recognition.

Behind the men, the barrel and grouped bottles provide a second, quieter layer of information. Highlights glint from the glass, while labels bearing the Hasselt name reinforce the connection between the painted celebration and the distiller’s trade. Across the upper edge, the boldly displayed wording “Emile Leynen, Distillateur Hasselt” establishes a clear graphic hierarchy: name, profession and place are read before the eye descends into the crowded scene. A narrow border contains the energy of the illustration and gives the figures the concentrated presence of actors within a proscenium.

Context and significance

Early twentieth-century beverage advertising frequently relied on more than a view of the product itself. Historical costume, robust characters and scenes of communal drinking could suggest longevity and inherited custom, while emphatic lettering ensured that this atmosphere remained attached to a particular name. Portielje’s design is especially effective because the promotional message grows naturally from his strengths as a painter of people: the varied expressions and physical closeness of the trio carry as much persuasive force as the bottles and typography.

The poster also preserves a vivid intersection of portraiture, genre painting and commercial design. Its subject is not distillation as an industrial process, but the culture built around its outcome—the toast, the shared table and the pleasure of company. That combination of regional identity and comic human observation gives Emile Leynen, Distillateur Hasselt an appeal extending well beyond its original advertising purpose.

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.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.

Framed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

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.