This striking Italian poster is an early 20th-century Art Nouveau advertisement for the Nuova Zolforatrice – a sulphur-spraying device used in vineyards to protect grapes from pests and disease. Created for V. Orecchia of Sanremo, it blends agricultural labour with the stylised elegance typical of the era.

At the centre stands a shirtless vineyard worker, idealised in the romantic Art Nouveau manner, operating the sulphur sprayer as it mists over bunches of grapes. Twisting vines and clusters of deep purple grapes frame the composition, while the flowing, ornamental typography echoes the organic lines of the illustration. Rich earthy tones – terracotta, olive, and plum – give the poster a warm, rustic Mediterranean atmosphere.

It’s a beautiful example of early Italian commercial art, valued today for its craftsmanship, period charm, and the way it elevates everyday agricultural work into decorative, almost heroic imagery.

Year:1920s

Dimensions: 120cm x 80cm 

Materials/Media: Original lithograph, linen backed