Benedictins de Soulac poster – Leonetto Cappiello – Vintage toothpaste poster

Benedictins de Soulac poster – Leonetto Cappiello – Vintage toothpaste poster This fabulous Dentifrices des RR. PP. Benedictins de Soulac poster was produced in 1922 to sell toothpaste! The vintage advertising poster was created by the Italian-born Parisian-based poster art designer and lithographer Leonetto Cappiello. It features another of his wonderful characters. This time it is a flamboyantly dressed medieval dandy admiring his pearly whites in a hand mirror. The elegant beau is beaming a huge smile that suggests he is as happy with the results the Benedictins de Soulac products have had on his gleaming white teeth. His teeth are now as impressive as his immaculate dress sense. The young dandy is depicted wearing a bright white tunic and pantaloons that subtlely resembles the shape of a tooth. His long flowing locks are immaculately coiffed falling to the sides of his face from beneath a large, floppy red and white bag hat. The young adonis is wrapped in a red cape that billows around his body suggestive of the colours of both the product packaging and the product itself. He is depicted resting against a wooden shelf that shows the young man’s personal hygiene is important to him and that he has all the Benedicts de Soulac products he needs, close to hand and ready to use. The wording at the top of the poster reads “Dentifrices des RR. PP. Benedictins de Soulac”  which translates as Toothpastes of the Benedictines of Soulac. In the bottom left-hand corner some more text names four of the brand’s product range. These are Elixir, Poudre, Savon and Pâte which are Mouthwash, Powder, Soap and Cream. According to 19th-century advertisements that helped sell the wares, Dentifrices Benedictins de Soulac was invented in 1373 by the Priest P. Boursaud a Benedictine monk from the Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Soulac. The monks worked from a monastery in the small village of Soulac on the coast near Bordeaux, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The toothpaste was composed of natural ingredients, including aromatic herbs and plants, and was promoted as a remedy for dental ailments, such as tooth decay and gum disease. Its formula was based on the monks’ proficiency in herbal medicine and natural remedies. Legend has it that in 1869, Prior Dom Maguelonne was appointed to lead the restoration of the ancient basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres in Soulac-sur-Mer, which had been buried under sand for a century. The recovery operation was commissioned by then Archbishop of Bordeaux, who also ordered the building of a new monastery in the area where a monastery had stood since the 12th century. The restoration of the upper structure and the roof of the ancient basilica proved to be a difficult and expensive challenge. The influx of visitors to the site required the sandy soil and dunes the church was built on to be stabilised. The task required substantial funding, which was eventually secured from a most unlikely source. As the story goes, Prior Maguelonne had been sifting through archive documents left by generations of monks who had resided on the site before it was consumed by sand. It was during this search that he discovered the magical formula for the “elixir” recorded by Prior Boursaud in 1373, along with Boursaud’s copper seal, which authenticated the writings that had been unearthed. Dom Maguelonne’s brilliant idea was to sell the formula to a company which specialised in products that were sold by chemists and perfumers. The company, Seguin, transformed it into their star product. We don’t know much truth there is in the story or whether the backstory was simply a clever marketing ploy exploited by Seguin’s marketing. What we do know is that the company used many references to the Benedictine monks and of the Priors Dom Maguelonne and Pierre Boursaud in the adverts for more than 40 years. What we do know is that Seguin employed the services of one of Italy’s leading poster artists Leonetto Cappiello and he came up with a poster that can put a smile on anyone’s face. Other Leonetto Cappiello posters Cappiello created his first poster in 1901. It was for the French magazine Le Frou Frou. It was the start of a 40-year career during which he is estimated to have created over 3,000 posters. Today many of his original lithographic prints fetch some incredible prices. Cappiello’s fabulous 1920  Mistinguett poster by Leonetto Cappiellois a personal favourite. It features the French chanteuse from the vantage point from an opera box with the star looking up towards us. She is dressed in a typically flamboyant white feather dress with long white ribbons billowing around her. She is also wearing a more modest than usual headdress that resembles horns or long ears. A copy of this highly sought-after lithographic print was listed in an online vintage poster auction in 2018. It had a guide price of between $8,000-$10,000. It sold for $15,600. The impressive Automobiles Charron poster featuring a woman climbing into her chauffeur-driven car on her way to Christmas shopping can command prices in excess of £8,000. At the time of listing (2019) a poster created for Bitter Campari, in 1921, depicting one of Cappiello’s characters appearing from a peeling orange skin was listed for just over £15,000. The 1900 poster advertising Cachou Lajaunie breath mints were also available, with a $4,000 price tag. One of his rare travel posters promoting golf in Font-Romeo in its original form fetches over £13,000 on the rare occasions they come to auction. The famous 1929 stone lithographic print for Parapluie Revel featuring three gentlemen battling the weather with their umbrellas is another that can command a hefty price of over £13,000. Other Leonetto Cappiello posters such as the 1927 Cognac Monnet poster with a young woman in a red dress drinking from a cup of sunshine is worth around $7,500, whilst a 1921 print for Cordial Campari Milano depicting a Pierrot-type clown drinking from a bottle of the golden beverage commands a price of $15,000. His poster for another alcoholic drink Contratto depicting a woman holding a huge champagne glass overflowing with drink regularly sells for £4,000. Cappiello’s Cognac Albert Robin poster reaches prices of £6,500 whilst the 1903 poster for Mele titled Novita per Signora sells for more than £32,000. Another popular poster is the 1921 Cafe Martin poster featuring the Turkish man leaping from a cup of coffee that could currently be purchased for a little over £31,000. Even many Leonetto Cappiello reproduction prints sell for between £250-£600. Original copies of this fabulous Benedictins de Soulac poster currently (2021) sell for in the region of £3,500. Of course, if you can find an original copy and can afford to buy it, you’re on to a winner. There’s nothing like owning an original vintage poster and they often make a great investment. Chances are in just a few years you’ll be able to sell it for more than you paid for it. Unfortunately, for most of us, an investment, even at the entry-level prices of the collectable poster isn’t even close to being a possibility. This is where our stunning high-quality reproductions come into their own. They cost a fraction of an original and look absolutely fantastic when they’re framed and hung on your living room wall. Our superb reproduction vintage toothpaste wall art could be hanging on your wall in just a few days adding a breath of fresh air to your home decor that will keep you smiling for years to come! Order your copy today, you won’t be disappointed.