Le Thermogène engendre la chaleur et guérit: toux, rhumatismes, points de côté [Thermogène warms you up and treats cough, rheumatism, and a stabbing pain in your side]

A French Belle Époque period advertising poster. It is one of the most valuable works in the collection of the Poster Museum at Wilanów and is considered a classic piece.

The advertised product – Thermogène – was supposed to warm up the body, treat cough, rheumatism and other similar discomforts. Its name suggests its action, which translates to the image showing the effects caused by the product.

This particular poster is an important link in the evolution of the discipline. By its means, the artist initiated a new standard in advertising. The new style rejects everything that is superfluous and distracting. It strongly accentuates product trade name, completely eliminating the fashionable Art Nouveau ornamentation in favour of clear hierarchy of presentation. In this case, it is expressed by an imagined plane, in which we can observe a grotesque silhouette in a bluish-green costume, depicted in an expressive pose. The central part of the composition is taken by what is most important – product strength and the result of its action. The person breathes fire, which is supposed to eloquently convince the public about the effectiveness of Thermogène and encourage its use.