Study for a Poster Advertising Caley's Chocolate
Best known today for his paintings of racehorses, Alfred Munnings apprenticed for a lithography firm in Norwich, England at the outset of his career in the 1890s. As an apprentice, he designed several posters advertising the chocolate manufacturer A. J. Caley & Son. This watercolor study for one such poster has many of the hallmarks of Art Nouveau, including a prominent floral motif and bold contours that outline the figures of the two girls – an element evocative of stained glass. The style and subject are also reminiscent of children’s book illustrations of the period.
Artwork Details
- Title: Study for a Poster Advertising Caley's Chocolate
- Artist: Alfred Munnings (British, Mendham 1878–1959 Dedham)
- Date: ca. 1896
- Medium: Watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 24 × 17 in. (61 × 43.2 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift of Roberta J.M. Olson and Alexander B.V. Johnson, in memory of Laurie Vance Johnson, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.459
- Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.