De accijnzen op zoek naar alkool (1919–1921), published in Belgium by Lith. Delko in 1919, turns the search for illicit alcohol into a densely staged visual farce. Its title translates approximately as ‘The excise officers in search of alcohol’, and the officers’ investigation unfolds in a bar crowded with drinkers, bottles, furniture and comic incident. Warm yellow and earthy brown tones give the setting a bright, slightly tawny cast, while heavy black outlines pick out the figures and propel the eye through the commotion.

The subject belongs to the lively satirical graphic culture of the early twentieth century, when illustrated prints could make public administration, taxation and everyday social behaviour immediately legible—and readily ridiculous. Excise officers were responsible for enforcing duties on goods including alcoholic drink; here, that bureaucratic function becomes the premise for broad physical comedy. Rather than presenting authority as orderly or efficient, the poster places its agents inside an environment so crowded and disorderly that the search itself becomes the joke.

A closer look

At the lower centre, two figures form the principal comic focus. One sits while another peers closely through his hair, extending the hunt for alcohol to an absurdly intrusive degree. Their exaggerated gestures and expressions are sharply bounded by dark contours, making the exchange readable even amid the surrounding clutter. To the left, a keg and an overturned chair suggest that the room has already been thoroughly disrupted; farther back, a uniformed policeman observes the action, a comparatively still presence among the tumbling forms.

The composition gains height in the upper right, where a figure climbs a ladder to continue the investigation above the main group. This steep vertical accent offsets the tightly packed activity below and leads the eye towards the upper reaches of the room. A partially visible sign marked ‘COUR’ identifies a doorway, while the far-right background contains a table of patrons who appear to continue drinking despite the official scrutiny around them. Scattered bottles repeatedly return the composition to its central subject, sometimes openly displayed and sometimes half-lost among the figures and furnishings.

Small incidents give the scene much of its character. At the lower right, a dog stands beside a figure on the ground, adding another animated silhouette to the confusion. Patterned clothes, bent limbs and sharply angled furniture create a restless rhythm across the shallow space. Beneath the scene, the emphatic caption ‘DE ACCIJNSEN OP ZOEK NAAR ALKOOL…’ anchors the spectacle like the concluding line of a joke, its bold lettering contrasting with the intricate action above.

Context and significance

Satirical posters and popular prints were particularly effective vehicles for topical commentary because they combined an instantly recognisable situation with compressed, theatrical storytelling. In this example, the tavern functions almost like a stage set: each corner contains another gag, yet every episode contributes to the same narrative of official zeal carried to comic extremes. The restricted palette and strong contrasts help organise what might otherwise be an overwhelming accumulation of characters and objects.

De accijnzen op zoek naar alkool is therefore more than a beverage-themed period scene. It offers a wry view of the encounters between authority, commerce and popular drinking culture in post-war Belgium, expressed through caricature rather than solemn argument. Its appeal lies in the tension between a simple official mission and an extravagantly chaotic result—a visual joke that becomes richer as the eye discovers each new searcher, bystander and overturned object.

Choosing the right size and finish

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The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) 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.