Bock Beer, produced by Calvert Litho. Co. in 1883, turns a beverage advertisement into a theatrical encounter between two fashionably dressed goats. At the centre, a dark-furred figure in a red jacket raises a foaming beer stein, while his companion, elaborately attired in blue and white, holds a patterned fan. Their comic formality is balanced by the emphatic lettering below: “Bock Beer” appears in weighty black characters edged with gold, anchoring the lively scene in a clear commercial message.

The goats provide an immediately intelligible visual pun. Bock, a strong beer style associated with German brewing, shares its name with the German word for a male goat, and the animal became a familiar emblem in bock-beer imagery. Here that association is expanded into an urbane social tableau rather than presented as a simple trademark. The chromolithographic richness of the design also belongs to a period when American commercial printing was becoming increasingly sophisticated, allowing advertisers to combine saturated colour, tonal modelling and decorative typography in images intended to command attention.

A closer look

The central goat dominates through both scale and contrast. Deep brown and black fur is picked out with small highlights, giving the head, beard and forelimbs a surprisingly tactile presence. Against it, the red jacket and yellow-gold trim read with unusual crispness. One hoof curls around the substantial stein, whose pale foam introduces a small note of realism amid the anthropomorphic comedy. The figure’s upright bearing and formal clothes lend the pose the air of a genial host presenting the drink.

To the right, the second goat supplies a lighter, more intricate passage. The blue dress is enlivened by white lace with tiny floral details, while the open fan introduces flashes of yellow and red. Fine patterning contrasts with the broad dark masses of fur and lettering elsewhere. A small glass of beer on the table below quietly repeats the subject of the stein, drawing the eye from the figures towards the lower edge of the composition.

Behind the pair, a softly coloured circular field acts almost like a stage or medallion. Its pale, muted tones separate the figures from the surrounding ground without competing with them, while subtle ornament around the perimeter reinforces the decorative character of the design. The typography completes the hierarchy: the eye first meets the goats’ faces and costume, then follows their bodies and gestures down to the product name. Gold outlining gives the letters a dimensional, sign-like finish against their dense black interiors.

Context and significance

Calvert Litho. Co., an American firm active during the nineteenth century, worked within a flourishing culture of colour lithography used for advertisements, packaging and popular imagery. Such designs had to communicate quickly, but they could also reward close attention. Bock Beer does both: its large lettering makes the commodity unmistakable, while the costumes, fan, lace, fur and glassware turn the advertisement into a miniature comic narrative.

The result reflects the growing visibility of beer within nineteenth-century consumer culture while retaining the exuberance of period graphic art. Rather than relying on a sober presentation of the drink, the design uses character, wordplay and conspicuous colour to make bock beer memorable. Its lasting appeal lies in that mixture of polished commercial purpose and eccentric invention: a product name transformed into an improbably refined gathering of goats.

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.